Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Resistance Act III
by AuraFighter23
Summary: Zero has been revealed to be the wielder of the Silver Soul and with it, the pressure of being their only hope. Now he must learn to harness the power if he hopes to survive the coming storm. However, with a new threats and enemies abound, will he be strong enough? Rated T for violence and language. I don't own Pokémon.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Shock and Aura

"Wh-What?" Zero all but whispered, dropping the lantern with a loud clang that seemed reverberate within the silent chamber. "What does this mean?"

"It means," Stride began slowly, "that _you_ , Zero, are the wielder of the Silver Soul!"

"But, how?!" Furno exclaimed. "How is this possible?!"

"I'm not sure," Stride admitted, openly gaping at the lantern, which had lost its light when the Riolu relinquished his hold. "This…this must be why Angela wished for you two to join Myself and Orion. She must have known that Zero had the Silver Soul, or at least perceived that Zero would play a crucial role in all this. I should have known when I saw that Aura Sphere," he muttered under his breath.

"My…Aura Sphere?" Zero asked, still in a daze.

"A Pokémon's Aura Sphere is a reflection of their soul," Stride said distractedly. "Aura is the lifeblood of all living things, or their soul. Aura Sphere, as the name suggests, utilizes that energy, as such the color of the attack is the color of your soul, but that's not important." He turned to Zero. "What is important is that you have what I've been searching for all this time."

Stride looked happy, excited even. He appeared to be in the verge of tears as he gazed at the one that he had been searching for. He was so relieved, relieved that he was right, that everything he had done had not been for nothing. Relieved that he had found the instrument of the resistance's success.

"B-But…!" Furno spluttered, trying to make sense of what was happening. "How?! Zero's not even a real Pokémon!" He blinked, before sending a sheepish glance over to Zero. "No offence."

Zero just shook his head dismissively, not fully hearing what Furno had said. He was still in a state of shock, his gaze still firmly locked onto the lantern at his feet.

"The prophecy never specifically stated that the wielder of the silver soul has to be a Pokémon," Stride explained, still sounding animated. "Not only that, but many believe that humans are just a subset of Pokémon. Though that is inconsequential at the moment."

He turned to fully face Zero, his eyes becoming suspiciously wet. "After all this time, I've finally found it. The Silver Soul. At last, we have a way to truly fight back against the Emperor!"

"This…this doesn't make any sense," Zero spoke up. He sounded lost and confused, something that both Pokémon picked up on. "This…shouldn't be possible."

"But it is," Stride insisted. "Against all odds, you have the Silver Soul and thus the power to turn the tides of the war! You can end the Emperor's reign! You should be happy about that!"

"No, I mean that this _shouldn't_ be possible!" Zero looked up at Stride, his eyes holding a myriad of emotions. "Don't you remember? When you first brought us to the Latios Division, you brought us to Phoebe and she said that I didn't have the Silver Soul!"

Stride still at that. His eyes widened marginally as he did indeed remember that event. Surprise glittered behind light red orbs before being replaced by righteous fury. "That lying _bitch_!" he suddenly roared, causing both Zero and Furno to jump in surprise. "She lied! She lied to all of us!"

"Stride, calm down," Furno tried to sooth, but his pleas fell upon deaf ears.

"Everything we did! Everything we sacrificed!" Stride continued to rage. He summoned several Water Shuriken and hurled them at the opposite wall. Deep gouges appearing on the depiction of Registeel was the result, but it was not enough to curb the ninja Pokémon's rage.

"We lost Pokémon, _good_ Pokémon, to bring her to the resistance for an ability that she doesn't even possess!" Stride screamed, releasing a Dark Pulse that destroyed a large portion of the wall. "All of those losses, all of those deaths…they were all because of her!"

Zero and Furno shivered fearfully at anger and murderous Intent the Greninja was showcasing. Even when they showed up randomly just a few days ago, Stride had never displayed such rage. It honestly felt like the Greninja would kill them if they got in his way. Eventually, Stride's anger petered out, leaving him panting in exhaustion.

"Stride…?" Furno asked tentatively.

Stride gave no indication that he had heard the Monferno and stared blankly at the heavily damaged wall. Cautiously, Furno stepped towards the Greninja and called his name again. "Stride?"

Stride glanced at the newly evolved fire type, his gaze devoid of any emotion. Zero immediately took a step forward, his form wound like a spring, ready to jump in and defend Furno if need be. Stride eyes moved to Zero and he noted his tense demeanor. He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming, breath. "I…I'm apologize for that," he said, his voice notably calmer. "I lost my temper."

"What was that?" Zero demanded, not relaxing from his guarded stance. "I get that she lied, but to react like that…"

"I led the mission to retrieve her," Stride said, earning shocked looked from Zero and Furno. "We heard word of a Pokémon that could detect the Silver Soul and I wished to follow up on that lead, but it was a trap. The emperor's soldiers were there waiting for us. Only about half of the platoon I was leading survived."

"So that's why you were so upset," Furno reasoned.

"No, there's more," Stride said. "Just as we were about to depart, a Misdreavus came to us saying that she was the one we were looking for. In that moment…I thought of nothing else." Stride opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. "Everything left me. My duty as a member of the resistance. My duty as the leader of my platoon. Everything… All I could think about was finding the Silver Soul and, because of that, even more of us died in an effort to save that Misdreavus."

"But you couldn't have just left her," Furno said. "Even if she didn't have what you were looking for, it was still your responsibility to protect her! That's what the resistance is all about!"

For almost a full minute, Stride said nothing. He simply continued to stare unseeingly up at the ceiling, but when he did speak…

Both Zero and Furno wished that he had remained silent.

"In this world…during these times…you can't save everyone. Try as you might, sometimes sacrifices must be made in order to survive to fight the fight."

A sudden rush of cold air seemed to pervade the room, reminding the two members of Team Dawn Breaker of their encounter with Regice. Furno opened and shut his mouth, trying, and failing, to think of something to say in response. Zero too stood agape, more so at the clear dead tone in Stride's voice rather than what he had said. The worst part was, they knew that Stride was right. They were even told as much during their encounter with Mifune, but still…

Should it be alright to leave someone behind?

Several minutes of silence ensued as Stride's bitter words sank in. Finally, Zero spoke tentatively. "So…what now?"

"Hm?" Stride hummed questioningly.

"With the lamp," Zero expanded. "With…me having the Silver Soul and all? Do we…tell everyone?"

"We should at least tell Orion," Furno added once he had found his voice. "After all, he risked his life for this too."

Zero stilled at the mention of Orion. His ruby red gaze shifted to the lamp, an unreadable look in his eye. Before either younger resistance members could react, Stride lunged forward, scooped up the lamp, and cleaved it straight down the middle with a Night Slash all before the colored fire could ignite.

"Stride!" Furno exclaimed in horror, a sentiment that matched the expression on Zero's face. "What the hell?!"

"This is too dangerous for anyone to get their hands on," Stride replied coolly. "If the Emperor learned that Zero possesses the Silver Soul, it could mean the end for us all."

Zero swallowed thickly at the thought of being ousted by the emperor. He was already a target for being a rare Pokémon by Aster, if the Emperor found out what he held… He'd have every one of his soldiers out looking for him! That was something Zero would rather avoid.

"B-But Regigigas said we had to protect it!" Furno exclaimed.

"No, they said to never let the lantern to fall into the wrong hands," Stride recounted. "They never said anything about destroying it to do so."

"But…But…!" Furno spluttered about, unable to come up with a viable argument. "But what about Orion?" he asked. "Do we tell him."

"No."

"What?! Why not?!" Furno shouted. "He did just as much as the rest of us to get us here and he nearly died for it! He deserves to know!"

Stride regarded the Monferno with a critical eye before turning away. "…the Emperor has eyes and ears everywhere."

Furno frowned, not understanding what Stride was talking about, but Zero understood. "You think he's a traitor."

Stride eyed the former human. "Perceptive as always, Zero."

Furno gasped, visibly appalled by what Stride was saying. "How can you think that Orion is a traitor! After everything he done for us?!"

"I'm not saying explicitly that his is a traitor, I am simply thinking weighing the possibility," Stride elaborated. "Orion wouldn't be the first to betray the resistance. These are dark times we live in and many would do whatever it takes to survive."

"Even betray their friends?" Furno practically growled.

"Precisely," Stride nodded.

"Do you even have any proof that he may be a spy?" Furno said.

"I don't," Stride admitted, "but we cannot risk the chance of this information falling into the wrong hands. Outside of you two and myself, should only before the higher ups like the Tribunal. Only their loyalty to the resistance cannot be questioned."

"If that's how you feel, then why'd you ask for Orion to come with you in the first place?" Zero questioned. "If you don't trust him, then why bring him here in the first place. Why not one of your teammates?"

"As to why I didn't want to risk bringing my teammates, I didn't wish for them to face punishment upon our return. Orion can easily say that he was oblivious to my intent, but one could just as easily argue that my teammates were aware of my plans and would be punished for it. As to why I asked Orion to come…" Here, Stride paused as if debating whether or not he should say. "…I trusted Orion enough to help me gather information on _how_ to find the Silver Soul. Not with the information of its wielder."

"So, what? You want us to _lie_ about what we found?" Furno asked heatedly. "Not just to Orion, but to our own team as well."

"That is exactly what I am asking," Stride said, pinning both Zero and Furno with matching hard looks. "If this information were to get out, not only would Zero be in danger, but the everyone you have ever known or loved. Is that what you want?"

Furno physically shrunk back as if struck, the fight and defiance leaving his body. "…no," he mumbled.

Stride nodded in ascent, seemingly satisfied with Furno's response. He turned and walking over to the stairs, but was stopped by the sound of Zero's voice. "That's rather hypocritical, don't you think?" he said. "You told us to trust our teammates, yet here you are saying not to trust them."

Stride froze, his fingers gripping tightly around the metal railing that spiraled along the staircase. "You're right," he said, not turning around. "It is hypocritical, but that's how it is. You learn to just deal with it.

Not giving Zero time to respond, Stride descended the staircase, completely missing the heated glare the Riolu was giving him.

-Resistance-

When the trio walked down to the lower floor, Orion was just regaining consciousness and pushed himself to a sitting position. When the Lucario noticed the trio's arrival and immediately brightened. "Guys!" he exclaimed. He tried to get up, but almost immediately felt dizzy and fell back on his rear.

"Orion!" Furno exclaimed in worry as he and Zero rushed to his side. Stride followed at a much more sedate pace.

"I guess I was more injured than I thought," Orion chuckled weakly. He waved off Zero and Furno's concern, muttering that he was fine. It was then that he noticed Furno's new form. "Whoa! Furno! You evolved!"

"Heh, yeah," Furno grinned unabashedly. "It happened when we were battling—" He cut himself off, his eyes blown up wide. He had almost blurted out what had happened!

Orion tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? What's wrong? Who were you battling?"

Furno looked helplessly at Stride who exhaled deeply and shut his eyes in vexation. "We encountered a guardian on the floor above us," he stated calmly.

"A guardian? So, there was something kept here after all!" Orion exclaimed excitedly. His eyes roamed over the three of them, searching for whatever they could have found on the upper floor. When he found nothing, he frowned at them. "So…what'd you find?"

"…nothing," Stride answered after several seconds of silence.

"Nothing?" Orion repeated incredulously. "What do you mean _nothing_?"

"Just what I said," Stride replied. "We found nothing."

"Really?" Orion questioned with a heavy amount of skepticism. "There was a _guardian_ in this place and it wasn't _guarding_ anything?"

"Correct."

The Lucario gave the Greninja a deadpan look. "You do realize that I can detect lies, right?"

"…"

"So, you three _did_ find something," Orion said, looking expectantly at the trio before him. Both Zero and Furno were blatantly looking anywhere but at Orion while Stride continued to look impassive. Orion gaze narrowed. "Well?"

"We found nothing," Stride repeated, his tone never changing. "There was nothing there."

"You're seriously still saying that? I just told you I can tell if you're lying!" Orion growled angrily.

"…"

Orion's scowl deepened at Stride's silence. He looked to Zero and Furno, noting that they were still looking away from him. "Zero? Furno?"

Both young Pokémon visibly flinched when their names were called. "It…It's like Stride said," Furno began, still not meeting the elder Pokémon's gaze. "There wasn't anything there."

Orion's expression closed off, becoming devoid of emotion. "I see. Zero? Do you say the same thing?"

Zero tensed, fighting the urge to duck his head. It felt…wrong lying to Orion after everything the Lucario had done for them. How he consoled Zero after his first encounter with Intent and brought him out of a panic attack when he was coming to terms with his…death. It…hurt just thinking that he had to lie to him…but.

Zero glanced at Stride, meeting the Greninja's eye. He didn't have to sense his emotions to know what Stride wanted him to do, but could he? He looked to Orion and, despite the aura Pokémon's face being a blank mask, Zero could see pain in his eyes. Pain that, despite everything he had done for the group, they wouldn't trust him, but if Zero told him…

He would be betraying Stride's trust. The one that brought him and Furno to the resistance, taught them, and helped them at every point in their journey. Despite how he distanced himself and acted cold towards them on occasion, Stride was always a constant for them. Orion on the other hand deceived Zero, causing him to get hurt in the process. Yet he was trying to make amends…

How could Zero possibly choose?

The former human clenched his fists, steeling his resolve. "We…we didn't find anything," Zero mumbled, allowing his eyes to fall to the floor.

Zero heard a sharp intake of breath from Orion and he felt a noticeably chilly aura emanate from the Lucario. "I see. Well then…I guess that's that."

"It is," Stride said crisply.

"Then I see no reason to linger in this place," Orion said. He moved to get up, sending Zero and Furno away when they tried to help him with a sharp glare, and stood up on shaky legs. Not looking back at the trio, he walked towards the stairs leading out of the temple, doing his best not to fall.

When he was gone, Furno visibly slumped forward. "I feel awful lying to him," he said depressingly.

"I know," Zero mumbled. "After everything he's done for us…"

"It's for the best," Stride said as he walked past him towards the stairs Orion had just exited through. "We can't risk this information getting out."

"I know, but still…" Furno whispered.

"Orion's tough. He'll recover," Stride said dismissively. "When this is all over, and the emperor has been defeated, I'll personally apologize to him."

Without another word, Stride left the room and the dungeon. Now alone, Zero and Furno glanced at one another, once more feeling conflicted over the course of action they had taken. Unable to do anything else, they grabbed their pack (Zero made a mental note to _never_ go anywhere without it) and left the Temple of Memoria.

-Resistance-

The trek out of the Ruins of Reminiscence was…awkward to say the least. Tensions between Stride and Orion were all but tangible. The group did their best to avoid the mystery dungeons that laid between them and the Groudon Division, their destination, meaning there was plenty of time to themselves. It was made even worse with Orion's less than subtle attempts at gaining information from the Greninja.

For the first two days, it was simple questions about the guardian; what it was, how they fought it. Questions that, while seemingly innocent, were trying to get them to let down their guard and let something slip about what they had found. When it didn't work, his questions became a lot less subtle, sometimes even blatantly demanding to know what they had found. Each question was met with silence, something that only infuriated the Lucario. By the third day, he was silent.

Both Zero and Furno, for the most part, remained silent throughout their journey. Orion had tried to ask them questions, but Stride had always shot him down before he could even get two words in. To make things worse, they couldn't talk to Stride or talk among themselves over what had occurred for fear of Orion overhearing. It was hard for both of them, having this groundbreaking information and not being able to talk about it in order to process what they now knew. For all that stress and worry, it was even worse for Zero.

The former human was lost to say the least. When he had first woken up in this world, he was confused and scared. He was a human in a world of Pokémon in the body of a Pokémon without any memory of being human. He didn't know where to go or what to do. He was alone in the world. Then he met Furno and was brought to the resistance and, suddenly, he had a purpose. He knew what he was doing. He had a clear purpose.

But everything changed in an instant.

Now he was some sort of prophesized messiah that would save everyone from the Emperor, but he didn't know how. How could he stop someone that has put all of Lyore into such a state of fear and disarray? He was just one person, or one Pokémon, with a power he neither understood or knew how to use. Zero…Zero didn't know what to do anymore, but one thing was clear. For whatever awaited him, he had to figure out some way to use the Silver Soul. It was with this thought that spurred Zero to act when they took their next stop.

"Hey, Orion?" Zero said, tentatively approaching the Lucario. Orion grunted in response and did nothing else. Taking this as consent to continue, Zero spoke again. "Can I…ask you something?"

"Oh, you want to ask _me_ something? That's rich!" Orion laughed cruelly, causing Zero to duck his head. Orion saw this and sighed tiredly. "Sorry, that was wrong of me."

"No, you have every right to be angry with me. I mean, we're not being exactly forthcoming with information ourselves," he said, casting a furtive glance towards Stride. The Greninja was resting against a nearby tree with his eyes closed, but Zero sensed that he wasn't as asleep as he appeared.

"It's fine, I know that Stride's the one that's making you and Furno keep quiet," Orion said, glancing at Furno, who was laying down a little ways away. The fire on his tail was out, indicating that he was asleep. "I just wish I knew why he's so paranoid, especially after asking me to come with him in the first place."

Zero hummed noncommittally. While he knew of Stride's reasons, Zero still didn't agree with them. Even so, he chose to put his trust in Stride and remained silent.

"Anyway, what was it that you needed?" Orion asked trying to make his expression appear brighter, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Uh, I wanted to ask you about the move Aura Sphere," Zero said. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Stride give an almost unperceivable twitch.

"Aura Sphere? Why do you want to know about that?" Orion asked curiously.

"Well…" Zero said, knowing that he had to be careful of what he said. "You mentioned how Lucario have the ability to manipulate the aura around us to use Aura Sphere while others had to use their own aura for the attack, but does that mean they can't use their own aura?"

Orion frowned at the Riolu, but answered all the same. "No, it doesn't. It just takes less energy to do it that way and the formation is near instantaneous. However, any Aura Sphere conjured this way will be naturally weaker than one conjured with your own aura."

"Why is that?" Zero asked.

"Well…that's a little difficult to explain," Orion said. "Think of it this way; a Thunderbolt from a Magmortar will inherently weaker than that of an Electivire's since, as an electric type, they are able to generate much more electricity than any other type. It is the same way with other types; moves of the same type of the Pokémon using them will be stronger than if another type used them."

"So, using your aura for an Aura Sphere will be stronger because its your own power?" Zero reasoned.

"Yep."

"So…how do you use your aura?" Zero asked.

Orion looked at Zero as if he had grown a second head. "You do know that Riolu _can't_ use aura, right?"

"Huh?!" Zero exclaimed. "What do you mean I can't use aura?!"

"Oh, I keep forgetting you've got amnesia," Orion said sheepishly. "Riolu are incapable of using aura. You are sensitive to it, allowing you to pick up on emotions, but you are unable to manipulate it in the way that Lucario does."

"Oh…" Zero said crestfallen. He then grew confused as he had used Aura Sphere on several occasions. If he couldn't manipulate aura, then how did he use Aura Sphere? More importantly, learning to manipulate his own aura was the only actual lead on how to use the Silver Soul. Did this mean that he had to wait until he was a Lucario until he could use it?

"However…" Orion said, jolting Zero out of his thoughts. "When a Riolu gets close to evolution, their connection to the aura becomes stronger. This causes random and uncontrolled bursts of aura manipulation. It is only then that a Riolu can begin to learn how to manipulate aura. You won't be able to do much with it, but learning is the first step into becoming a Lucario."

"So, I'm close to evolution," Zero murmured. It didn't seem very plausible to Zero

"What was that?"

Zero jumped, a furious blush coloring his cheeks as he realized he had spoken aloud. "Oh…um, I…think I used Aura Sphere when we were fighting the guardian at the temple."

Orion gaped like a Magikarp for several seconds, seemingly too shocked to speak. "That's…That's great, Zero!" Orion exclaimed when he found his voice. "You're close to evolving!"

"Yeah," Zero said, feeling rather awkward.

"This is great! Typically, it's a Riolu's parents that teaches them, but I am more than willing to help! Ha! Imagine me, a teacher! Who would have thought!" As Orion gushed over the prospect of teaching, Zero was deep in his own thoughts.

 _This is great!_ He thought. _With Orion teaching me how to use my aura, I'll unlock the Silver Soul for sure! The only thing is I'll have to be careful of what I show him. If he sees that my aura is silver…_

"By the way, what color was your Aura Sphere?" Orion suddenly asked.

 _Crap!_ Zero was panicking. What was he supposed to say?!

Thankfully he was spared from answering when Stride got up. "Come on, we need to move out!"

He gave Zero a sharp look as he passed by him to wake up Furno. "Whazz goin'?" the fire-fighting type mumbled drowsily.

"We're leaving now," Stride responded, leaving Furno wake himself up. "We've still have several days of travel until we reach the Groudon Division and I wish to get there as soon as physically possible. With luck, we can get ahead of my…insubordination."

"Insubordination? I believe you mean treason!" a voice rang out.

In an instant, Stride had summoned a blade of dark energy and pointed it in the direction the voice had come from. Orion was right at his side, a bone staff already formed in his paws. "Show yourself!" Stride demanded.

The voice chuckled in response. "As you wish."

To the quartet's surprise, a familiar figure stepped out of the brush, flanked by several other Pokémon. "Razor?!" Stride exclaimed, his blade disappearing

The Samurott smirked at the shell-shocked quartet, his teammates mirroring his expression. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. What led us to this moment?"

Stride's shock melted away in an instant, a scowl replacing it. "What are you doing here?" he growled.

"I thought you would have figured it out," Razor said condescendingly. "The Tribunal sent me here to collect you and your fellow traitors."

"Traitors?" Furno gulped.

"That's right," Razor said, smiling cruelly at the Monferno. "As of this moment, all four of you are court martialed!"

 **Author's Note:**

Sorry for the late update. I lost track of time. Anyway, I wanted to thank all of you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy this next act of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Resistance. I will try and update as much as I can, but it most likely won't be a frequently as before, but I will NOT abandon a story. Feel free leave a review and I will see you all in the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Consequences

Zero fidgeted anxiously. After Team Tempest had found them, they had been practically dragged back to the Latios Division. Stride told them all not to make much of a fuss and to let themselves be escorted back, but that didn't make it any easier. Razor seemed to make it his priority to make their journey a living hell with cutting comments or overly rough treatment. To make things worse, the trip was almost twice as long as Razor purposefully avoided any and all mystery dungeons that were between them and their destination, saying that he didn't want to give the "traitors" a chance to escape. Now, they were standing in the middle of the Tribunal's chambers, staring up at the raised podium and the three Pokémon that were sitting at them.

Razor had just finished his debriefing and stepped back to join his burly teammates. The Samurott sent a sneer in the groups direction, specifically at Stride. The formidable Pokémon had wanted the quartet to be chained up to, as he put it, "ensure the safety of the tribunal". Thankfully, Katherine, the kind Delphox that she was, had said that such action was unnecessary. Unfortunately, however, that was the end of the kindness they were shown.

With Razor finished, the gaze of the Tribunal fell upon them. For the longest time, no one spoke. The sheer amount of tension that hung in the room felt like Zero was lifting a Graveler. It was stifling and, by the looks of things, Furno wasn't faring any better. It was honestly impressive that neither Stride nor Orion were even sweating.

The silence continued on for the next couple minutes, though it could have been hours for all Zero knew. Instinctively, the young Riolu knew that what was happening was a powerplay. The silence was meant to intimidate the quartet and make them nervous in hopes that they would slip up and say something incriminating. Zero glanced at Stride, hoping to gain some insight as to how they should proceed, but the Greninja kept his eyes on the three Pokémon in front of them.

Zero gulped and looked down at his feet. Had it not been for his fur, everyone would have seen that he was sweating. He hated these types of situations. It was one thing to face down Pokémon that could potentially kill him, he could fight those, but when forced to stand in front of his superiors…

He was helpless.

Thankfully for the former human, the tension was broken when Furno, of all Pokémon, spoke up. "Are you going to ask your questions or not?"

Regulus raised a brow at the Monferno. "And what questions would those be?"

"Don't play coy," Furno grunted, leveling the Alakazam with a harsh glare. "You want to know what happened, right? Well, ask it then!"

"Watch your tone, brat!" Roman snarled, leaning over the wooden podium to glare directly at the fire-fighting type.

"We have been standing here in silence for almost five minutes! If you want to ask something, just do it and stop wasting all of our time!" Furno shouted angrily. After being dragged back to the Latios Division and constantly insulted by their 'captor', Furno was in no mood for games.

Once more silence fell over the room, this time due to the overwhelming shock over the fact that Furno had just snapped at the Tribunal. Zero openly gaped at the Monferno. Furno was always so soft-spoken and mild-mannered. Never in a million years would he have expected Furno to speak out of turn like that. What was going on?!

Roman, for his part, was too stunned to react. He had just been told of by a _hatchling_. A _hatchling_! In an instant, his surprise faded and white-hot anger took its place. The Haxorus' blood red eyes burned in conjunction with his mounting fury. A deep growl rumbled through his throat and past his sharp, beak-like mouth. He was seconds away from unleashing his rage, be it with cutting words or draconic fire, upon the upstart Furno, when Stride jumped to the playful Pokémon's defense.

"Please forgive him, Roman. Furno has recently undergone evolution" Stride said quickly, giving Furno a cross look, silently telling him to be silent. Furno appeared to have understood the silent message, but he didn't look happy about it.

The Haxorus didn't seem impressed by Stride's reasoning, if his angered expression was anything to go off of, but before he could say anything, Katherine spoke first. "I see. That would explain his rather…brash attitude." Furno looked especially put off at being called brash. He opened his mouth to say such only to find himself silenced courtesy of a solid smack to the back of his head from Orion.

Katherine chuckled lightly at the put-out expression on Furno's face. "I meant no harm. As a fire type myself, I am very much aware of how our kind's personality shifts to a more hostile persuasion upon evolution. However, I cannot stress the need to control your emotions, lest you lose control."

Furno gave an unintelligible grunt, but nodded his head in assent. Satisfied, Katherine turned to Regulus, pointedly ignoring an openly growling Roman. "While I do not approve of the way it was said, I do believe that we should move on with this discussion."

"There's nothing to discuss!" Roman snapped furiously. "They blatantly ignored our ruling and went off gallivanting to parts unknown!"

"We should still hear their side," Katherine argued. "After all, hearing all facets of an event is the purpose of a trial."

"That would be the case if this wasn't an open and shut case!" Roman countered and Zero felt his heart drop into his stomach.

Open and shut case. The way it sounded, it seemed like they had already reached a decision. From the corner of his eye, Zero saw Furno blanch, his previously irate expression becoming one of abject horror. He too understood the implications behind Roman's words. If the quartet was indeed found guilty…

"Be that as it may," Regulus interjected calmly. "I would very much like to hear Stride's reasoning behind his insubordination and why he saw fit to include, not only a veteran member of the Resistance, but also two _children_ in his venture."

Despite the Alakazam's calm tone, Zero could feel the accusation behind his words. Stride, for his part, stood unfazed, either not noticing Regulus' accusing tone or simply not caring. He calmly stepped forward and addressed the Tribunal.

"I have nothing to say in my defense," Stride said plainly. Beside him, Orion gave an almost imperceptible twitch, his eyes widening marginally. Zero and Furno were in similar states of shock, neither of them able to process the fact that Stride wasn't trying to defend himself.

"Did I hear you correctly?" Katherine blanched. "You don't wish to defend yourself."

"That's correct," Stride confirmed. "I disobeyed your orders and acted of my own volition."

Everyone in the room was shocked. Even the normally calm and collected Regulus was staring wide eyed at the ninja Pokémon. Razor was openly gaping and the rest of Team Tempest were whispering amongst themselves. Roman, on the other hand, looked ecstatic.

"Well then, I guess this really is an open and shut case," the Haxorus chuckled. "I suggest—"

"However," Stride said suddenly, interrupting the axe jaw Pokémon mid-sentence, "I would like to state that Orion had no knowledge that I was acting outside of the Resistance's and was not made aware until our capture."

Once again, Orion twitched slightly. While what Stride said wasn't a complete lie, it was clear that he was attempting to spare Orion from punishment. Regulus interlocked his fingers, observing the Greninja carefully. "Orion," he said suddenly, causing the Lucario jolt slightly. "Is this true."

"Yessir," Orion said quickly, possibly too quickly. The aura Pokémon coughed lightly before repeating himself in a much calmer voice. "Yes sir."

Regulus eyed the Lucario critically, attempting to discern any lies in Orion's statement. Thankfully, it appeared that he decided to believe Orion and turned to Zero and Furno. "And the children?"

At this, instead of Stride answering, Zero stepped forward. "Sir, we were not there on our own accord. We were teleported close to Stride and Orion's location and given a map to them."

"Teleported? By whom?" Katherine questioned.

"By Angela, Ma'am," Zero responded. "She told us that they needed our help to complete their mission—"

"Though she said it really cryptic like," Furno muttered under his breath, earning himself another smack from Orion.

"—and teleported us before we could argue."

"I see," Regulus said. "That coincides with Angela's testimony."

"Then why'd you ask in the first place?" Furno grumbled irritably.

"What you all say is indeed true, then Orion and Team Dawn Breaker are truly innocent of this infraction," Regulus said.

"Then we can add endangering the welfare of his fellow resistance members," Roman said, glaring at Stride.

"That being said, I still wish to know Stride's reasoning behind his actions," Katherine said with pointed look towards Stride.

"We already know why he did it!" Roman shouted. "He's deluded by myths!"

"Roman," Katherine said with a glare.

"You know it's true!" Roman snapped. "Ever since he joined the Resistance, he's been spouting nonsense. How the _Silver Soul_ is the only way to win this war, it's infuriating! The only way we'll win this war is with our own might! Not some fairy tale!"

"Personal opinions aside, I still wish to hear Stride's side," Regulus said.

Stride nodded in assent and began to speak. "As I explained to you three about a month ago, the information that was deciphered from the ancient tome spoke of their being information regarding the Silver Soul within the Ruins of Remembrance."

Roman scoffed, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'I told you so'. Stride gave the dragon type a sideways glance, but said nothing. Regulus hummed in interest, leaning forward slightly on the podium. "What else?"

Having gained permission, Stride divulged their 'excursion'. He explained how he deceived Orion into joining him and the dungeons they encountered throughout their travel. He eventually got to when Zero and Furno appeared, prompting Zero to join in and describe their encounter with Registeel, which led to him describing their other encounter with the Regis in order to explain the orbs. Stride had just gotten to describing their battle with Regigigas when Roman interrupted.

"This is preposterous!" the Haxorus roared.

"Roman!" Katherine chided, but Roman wasn't hearing it.

"No, I am not listening to any more of this!" Roman snapped. "Are we really supposed to believe that they encountered the Regis, who, along with all other Legendaries, disappeared hundreds of years ago! The Legendaries were said to be _gods_ among Pokémon. The mere _thought_ that these hatchlings would survive such an encounter, let alone _win_ , is as plausible as a Magikarp defeating an Electivire!"

"Then I best warn I'zer not to fight any Magikarp as they are telling the truth," Regulus said.

"What?!" Roman exclaimed, his head whipping around fast enough to give him whiplash.

Regulus chortled at the Haxorus' reaction. "What they have said is true," he repeated.

Katherine narrowed his eyes at the psi Pokémon in an accusing manner. "You read their minds, didn't you?"

"Just their surface thoughts," Regulus defended. "Just enough to know if they were lying, and I can say for certain that they are telling the truth."

"Or they just believe they are telling the truth," Roman said stubbornly. "They said it themselves, they were in that dungeon for a long time, they could have easily hallucinated the events."

"And Team Dawn Breaker's encounters with the Regis _before_ the temple?" Regulus questioned.

Roman grunted and turned his head away from his fellow Tribunal members. "It's not unheard of for a lie to evolve to the point that the liar themselves believe it," he muttered, though he didn't sound certain.

Regulus just sighed, knowing that it was a futile endeavor to convince the Haxorus. He instead decided to turn his attention back to the quartet. "Seeing as you all are still with us, I assume that you were able to defeat Regigigas."

"Not exactly," Stride admitted. "We were not able to defeat it, but it did say that we were worthy of the secrets of the temple."

"And what secrets would those be?" Roman demanded. When Stride didn't answer right away, Roman grew angry. "Well? Answer me!"

"I do not wish to divulge such information in present company," Stride said. "I only trust you, the members of the Tribunal, with this information."

"Ha! So, you really don't have any trust in the Resistance!" Roman laughed victoriously.

"It is not that I don't trust the Resistance, I would in fact trust everyone in this room with my life, I simply wish to ensure that there is no chance that this information gets out," Stride argued.

"That still sounds like you don't trust us," Razor spoke up, stalking towards the Greninja.

Stride didn't so much as glance at the Samurott, instead keeping his eyes forward. "As I said, the information I possess is incredibly sensitive. Because of that, I request that Team Tempest and Orion temporarily leave the room. Only then will I reveal what I have learned."

"Oh, this is a load of Tauros shit!" Razor shouted, getting right in Stride's face. "If you think for a second that I'll leave a traitor like you alone with the Tribunal so you can kill them, then you've got another thing coming!"

"I have no intention of bringing harm to any member of the Resistance," Stride said, still refusing to look at Razor.

"Yeah, well your words don't mean shit to me," Razor growled, moving close enough so that his nose was almost touching the Greninja, forcing the ninja Pokémon to look him in the eye. "As far as I'm concerned, you're nothing more than a filthy traitor. On the same level as one of the Emperor's soldiers. You—"

"While I believe your heart is in the right place, that is enough Razor," Katherine interrupted. "On another note, we are more than capable of handling ourselves in combat."

"But Katherine—" Razor attempted, but the fox Pokémon didn't give him the chance.

"Razor," The Samurott froze at the sudden chill that emanated from the Delphox's tone, "while it is true that we do not function in the field, we are anything but weak, or are you disputing our abilities?"

The formidable Pokémon gulped thickly, a cold sweat breaking across his face. "N-No, Ma'am,"

"Peace, Katherine. I am positive that Razor meant no disrespect," Regulus soothed. Katherine huffed but relented, leaning back in her chair and sending a sour look at the Samurott.

 _I guess all fire types have a temper,_ Zero thought to himself before returning his attention back to Regulus.

"I do find myself curious as to what information you have obtained during your jaunt to the Temple of Memoria," Regulus said. "Though I am also curious as to why you do not wish Orion to be present."

"He was not present during the initial discovery and, as such, was not privy to the information," Stride responded.

"I find it strange that, after going through the effort to deceive Orion, you will not include him in revealing what you discovered," Roman commented.

"You're not the only one." This time it was Orion who was grumbling under his breath.

"As I said, this information is sensitive," Stride said, ignoring Orion.

"Yet your allowing hatchlings to hear it," Roman grumbled.

"They were present and are aware of the information I wish to discuss," Stride answered.

"Hmm…" Regulus hummed in thought.

"Regulus, sir," Razor said, stepping forward once more. "You can't possibly be thinking of…" His voice died in his throat, his gaze finding Katherine. Said Delphox was giving him a blank look, though Zero was fairly sure she was sending a healthy dose of Intent his way judging by how fast Razor stopped talking.

The Alakazam sat pensively for several tense minutes, appearing to weigh his options. Finally, after much internal debate, he nodded. "I will agree to these terms."

"You can't honestly be buying this?!" Roman demanded incredulously.

"I will save my judgment until after I have heard the information," Regulus said.

"I happen to agree with Regulus' sentiment," Katherine added. "I admittedly find myself curious as to what they found. Can you not say the same, Roman?"

Said dragon type grumbled incoherently, but said nothing to contradict Katherine's statement. Seeing that Roman would not make any further objections, Regulus once again spoke. "Team Tempest, if you would escort Orion outside. We will call you back in when our conversation is complete."

Razor nodded, albeit quite reluctantly. He then grabbed Orion's arm and preceded to follow his teammates out of the room. Just as the door closed, Orion sent one last look towards Stride which was neither angry nor hurt. It was just blank, completely devoid of any and all emotions.

 **Slam!**

Razor none too gently slammed the door, leaving the room in uncomfortable silence.

"Well?" Roman sneered impatiently. "What is this 'sensitive' information?"

Stride took a deep breath to center himself before looked Regulus directly in the eye. "I- _We_ found it. We found the Silver Soul."

Silence.

"…"

"…"

"…are you joking?" Roman asked in disbelief.

"This is no joke," Stride insisted. "We came into possession of an item that revealed the one who—"

"That's enough!" Roman interrupted. "If you are just going to waste our time with fairy tales—"

"This is no fairy tale!" Stride shouted, catching everyone off guard. He glared angrily at the Haxorus, barely able to keep himself from projecting Intent. "The Silver Soul is very real and it resides within Zero!"

And just like that, the attention of everyone in the room was on the young Riolu. Zero gave a strained smile and waved awkwardly. Furno snorted at Zero's rather lame action, causing Zero's smile to become even more strained than it already was.

"You mean to tell us that this Riolu, is the wielder of the Silver Soul?" Katherine asked with more than a little skepticism. "The ability that has been spoken about in legends and myths for over a hundred years. _That_ Silver Soul?"

"Correct."

Roman snorted, clearly unconvinced and, judging by her expression, Katherine wasn't keen on believing the Greninja either. Regulus wasn't too far off either. "I do believe that you informed us that Phoebe did not detect the Silver Soul within either of these two when they first joined the Resistance," Regulus stated with a frown.

"Yes, I did," Stride said, clenching his fist in anger. "It would appear that her abilities were greatly exaggerated."

"So, it would appear that yet another one of your 'quests' has been nothing more than a fruitless endeavor," Roman commented coldly.

Stride inhaled sharply, his jaw set in a scowl at the insult. He had to physically bite his tongue to keep himself from lashing out at the wingless dragon, though he wasn't sure how long he could hold himself back. Thankfully, he was spared from saying something he would come to regret, Regulus spoke up again.

"The situation regarding Phoebe aside, how exactly did you come to the conclusion that young Zero was in possession of the Silver Soul?"

"After proving ourselves worthy to Regigigas, we were granted a lantern of sorts that, when touched by a Pokémon, lit with a fire that matched the color of the holder's aura," Stride said after taking a moment to push down his anger.

"I see. I take it then that you are a believer that one's aura and their soul is of the same persuasion?" Regulus stated questioningly, receiving a simple nod in response. "If that is the case, then where is this lantern?"

"…I destroyed it," Stride admitted.

"Convenient," Roman commented.

"I felt it would be best so that Zero's ability wasn't accidently discovered," Stride said, unable to keep himself from glaring at the Haxorus.

"So, what? We're supposed to just believe you?" Roman sneered, glaring right back that the Greninja. "The same Pokémon who went against the orders of the Tribunal and manipulated a fellow member of the Resistance to join you on an unsanctioned mission?"

"I find myself agreeing with Roman, as strange as that may be," Katherine said. "Without substantial proof, I cannot, in good conscience, believe anything you have said to us."

"Then read my mind," Stride said, looking directly at Regulus. "See for yourself that what I've said is the truth."

Regulus opened his mouth to speak, but Roman beat him to the punch. "Nice try, Stride, but we all know that dark types like yourself are highly resistant to psychic type energy, including that which is used in mind reading. Reading your mind would tell us nothing!"

"Then—"

"Before you suggest reading the mind of the hatchlings, need I remind you the damage that a deep reading, such as what you are suggesting, can be incredibly damaging on a mind that has not fully developed," Katherine interjected.

"Not to mention that what they believe to be true could easily just be what _you_ convinced them to be the truth," Roman pointed out, smirking in satisfaction.

Stride, by that point, was growing desperate. He wanted, no, _needed_ the trio of Pokémon to believe him. To understand that they finally had the means to ending the war. In a last-ditch effort, he turned to Zero. "Show them," he demanded.

Zero blinked. "Huh?"

"Show them that you have the Silver Soul!" Stride clarified, staring intensely at the former human. "Show them that I'm not lying."

"B-But I don't…" Zero was at a loss. He had no idea how to use the Silver Soul. He didn't even know what it even did. Was it an attack? A transformation? He had no idea! He turned to Furno, a helpless look on his face. Furno just shrugged, just as lost as his friend.

After several awkward seconds of silence, Regulus sighed. "I'm sorry, Stride, but if you cannot provide sufficient proof, then I will have to agree with my compatriots on this matter."

"But…" Stride tried to argue, but he had nothing to say in his defense.

"Stride…you are a powerful individual, but you lack respect," Regulus said. "You directly went against the orders given to you by those whose authority outranks your own. The fact of the matter is that, even if you had proof of the Silver Soul, you would still be in the wrong for going against orders."

"I understand," Stride said rather sullenly.

"Do you?" Regulus questioned. "This isn't the first time you've gone against our ruling. Even the mission to retrieve Phoebe all those years ago went against our desires."

Stride bowed his head, unable to look Regulus in the eye any longer. The psi Pokémon exhaled deeply, appearing to be in thought. "You are no doubt an irreplaceable asset to the Resistance, but you need to learn to respect authority." The Alakazam looked to his two compatriots, appearing to have a silent debate amongst themselves. After several tense minutes, all three members of the Tribunal turned to look at Stride.

"Stride," Regulus spoke, his voice sounding more authoritative than before. "It is the ruling of the Tribunal that for your indiscretion, you are hereby striped of your title as leader of Team Surge."

Furno audibly gasped, unable to hold back his shock. Zero too was stunned over the Tribunal's ruling. _I knew they'd punish him, but kicking him off his own team?_ Zero looked at his mentor, noting the water-dark type's resigned and defeated posture. _That's got to be rough._

"Furthermore," Regulus continued, undaunted by the reactions of those in the room, "you will also be confined to this division for the next month, working under Xion in the mission's office. Only after this time has passed will you be allowed to return to missions. Am I understood."

"Understood," Stride replied tonelessly.

"Hmph. He deserves a much harsher punishment," Roman grumbled.

Regulus silenced the irate dragon with a look before turning back to Stride. "What you have done has been a disservice to the Resistance. It is my hope that this punishment will teach you the importance of following orders." He then looked to Team Dawn Breaker, causing the duo to stiffen. "You two, while you are not responsible for what has occurred, I hope you too realize the importance of doing as your told."

Both Zero and Furno nodded, but said nothing. Their attention was still on Stride. Furno couldn't tell, but Zero could feel the anguish and despair that emanating from the Greninja.

Regulus nodded and stood. "If that's all…" He glanced at his compatriots. When neither of them said anything, he addressed the trio before him. "I suggest you three head back to your teams. They are more than likely anxious to see that you all are alright. Dismissed. Send Orion in once you leave."

Stride bowed. "Thank you, sir," he said monotonously. He then turned around without another word and walked towards the door. Zero and Furno soon followed, sending concerned glances towards the Greninja.

-Resistance-

All was silent as Stride escorted Zero and Furno to their quarters. It was late at night, so there wasn't many Pokémon traversing through the halls, allowing them to pass without having to talk. This was probably for the best as Stride was in no condition to hold any form of conversation.

He was much like a golem, moving mechanically and without any thought other than his destination. He kept his expression blank, but he was a wreck on the inside. Despair and anger swirled within the pit of his stomach over not being believed. That, once again, his beliefs and findings were ignored. Part of him knew that he was out of line, but truly believed that the ends justified the means.

 _Can't they see that this is important?_ he thought to himself. _We've been fighting for years and we've made no progress against the Emperor. We need the Silver Soul!_

He gave a silent sigh in resignation. It seemed that, no matter what he did, he would be ignored. It appeared that they would only listen when there was truly no other hope and, until then, it was all he could do was prepare for the inevitable.

Stride stopped right outside of Team Dawn Breaker's quarters and turned to his charges. "Here, you two should get some rest. I'll see you around."

The ninja Pokémon turned to leave, but was stopped by Zero's cry. "Stride, wait!"

The Greninja paused mid-step. "Hmm?"

"I…I'm…I'm sorry I couldn't use it…" Zero stuttered, unable to fully say what he wanted, though Stride knew what he was trying to say.

Stride sighed before turning back around, pushing his emotions down so the Riolu wouldn't sense his inner turmoil more than he already did. "You did nothing wrong," he said, putting on his best smile, though it most likely looked more like a grimace than anything else. "I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that, especially since we don't know the full capabilities of the Silver Soul."

"I guess…" Zero said, clearly unconvinced. "So…"

"What do we do now?" Furno finished, crossing his arms across his chest.

Stride frowned lightly. Furno's new attitude, while expected from a newly evolved fire type, was something that would need to be addressed in the near future. The way things were, he would explode on the wrong person and end up six feet under. Stride shook his head. _One problem at a time, Stride._

"For now, we train," Stride said aloud. "Not like before where I had Monty helping you, no, I will be taking over your training."

"Really?" Zero asked, a note of excitement in his voice. Even Furno looked excited at the prospect of training with the Greninja.

"Yes. Really," Stride said. "Despite what the Tribunal thinks, our efforts are not enough to stop the Emperor. We _need_ the Silver Soul in order to win this war. As such, the sooner you are able to utilize it, the closer we get to ending this war."

"I guess that makes sense…" Zero said, though he sounded uncertain.

"You best get some rest. I'll come find you two tomorrow," Stride said, turning around to leave once more. He then stopped and thought for a second and turned to face the two younger members. "Remember, don't tell your team what we found."

"Right," Zero and Furno chorused before entering their room. The second the door closed, Stride heard several surprised exclamations that most definitely came from their teammates.

Stride stood there for several seconds, listening to the excited and demanding shouts from behind the door, before heading back the way he came, but he didn't go back to his own rooms. He instead traversed the winding corridors until he came upon a certain Pokémon's door. He sharply rapped the door with his knuckles until he heard movement from within.

"Who the hell is knocking on my door at this time of night!" a voice shouted from within. The door swung upon, revealing a slightly disheveled and angry Phoebe. The Mismagius' eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the Greninja at her door. "Stride? What are you-ACK!"

Phoebe found herself forcibly cut off as Stride lashed out, grabbed her by the throat, and dragged her into her room, the door closing behind them. With a growl, Stride slammed the ghost type against the wall and pressed a blade of dark energy against her throat.

"Stride, what the hell?" Phoebe managed to get out.

"Give me a reason," Stride hissed furiously. "Give me a reason not to kill you right here and now!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Explanations

Zero and Furno stepped into their rooms and were met with eerie darkness. Even though it was admittedly late, Team Dawn Breaker tended to stay up late to plan their next mission which made odd that the stone torch in the lounge had been manually turned off.

Tentatively, Zero reactivated the stone torch, the artificial light bathing the room in an orange glow. "Uh…guys?" he called out. "Is anyone here?"

Several seconds passed and there was still no response. He wasn't sure if it was an aftereffect of being in the Temple of Memoria, but Zero couldn't help but feel concern forming an uncomfortable knot in his gut. _Where is everyone? The Kecleon brothers tend to keep their shop open late. Could they be there…but this late? Maybe they're on a mission…?_

As Zero worked himself into worry-filled panic, Furno stepped into the center of the room. "Oi!" he shouted, snapping Zero out of his panic. "Anyone here?! We're back!"

For another second, it remained silent. Furno turned to Zero, mouth opened to state that the room was empty, when a loud **slam** cut through the silence. Before either Pokémon could react, they were barreled over by a large green blur.

"You're back!" a familiar and excited voice screamed into their ears.

"Quill!" Zero choked. "Can't breathe!"

GAH! Sorry!" the now identified Quilladin exclaimed. He got off of the two fighting types, smiling sheepishly. "I was just so excited that I couldn't stop myself!"

Zero chuckled good naturedly as he got to his feet. "It's fine. Just don-AK!" The rest of Zero's words never got out as another blur suddenly grabbed him and began spinning him around, clutching against a surprisingly soft but cold body. "Bella!"

The marionette Pokémon gave guttural chirr, tightening her grip on the Riolu. Her own way of greeting the former human. She then held him out at arms like, holding him like he was a child, and began searching his body for any injuries.

Quill laughed at the motherly actions of the team's resident ghost type. He turned to Furno, about offer the fire type a hand when he froze. "Sweet Mother Mew! You evolved!" he exclaimed loudly.

"Yeah, I hadn't noticed," Furno grumbled irritably as he got to his feet.

"Um…" Quill took a step back, surprised by the Monferno's response.

"Don't mind him," Zero said, noting the tense air forming between the two dual typed Pokémon. "Katherine says that most fire type's experience a personality shift when they evolve."

"Ah, that makes sense," Quill said. "I went through my own personality change when I became a fighting type." He chuckled as he thought back. "I was a lot more energetic back then."

"Was?" Furno mumbled with a quirked brow. Zero didn't say it out loud, but he was of a similar mind.

"What's with all this racket? Who's here?" the calm, if not a bit tired and irritated, voice of Weiss rang out as the shiny disaster Pokémon padded into the room. Her teal widened as she saw who it was that had entered. "Zero? Furno?"

"Hey, Weiss," Zero said with a wave while Furno grunted, still somewhat steamed over, as he perceived it, Quill and Zero teasing him.

"Y-You're back?" she exclaimed, shock evident on her face. That shock quickly faded as a stern scowl made its way onto her face. "Where the hell have you two been?! You've been gone for weeks!"

"Uh…well…you see…" Zero glanced at Furno helplessly. The Monferno, helpfully, shrugged.

"Well?!" Weiss demanded, stepping right up to Zero, ignoring the hiss Bella gave her when she got close.

"Maybe we should allow them to sit down. They appear quite tired," Dusty said as he too entered the lounge. "It is good to see you two. Zero. Furno."

"You too, Dusty," Zero responded with a grateful smile. The Riolu then turned to Bella. "Uh…can you let me down now?"

Bella made a reluctant groan and loosened her grip momentarily only for it to return full force. A shocked and outraged cry emanated from her zippered mouth, her eyes zeroing in on the Riolu's chest.

Frowning, Zero followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at the spot of dried blood that, up until then, had blended in with his black fur. "Crap," he muttered, mentally cursing the Banette's perceptiveness.

"Huh, what's up, Bella?" Quill asked, coming over to see what the ghost type was making a fuss over. He gasped loudly when he saw what she was seeing. "Is that… _blood_?!"

"Blood?!" Weiss barged past Quill with Dusty close behind. She looked over the blood stain critically. While it wasn't at all uncommon to come back with bleeding wounds, the sheer amount of dried blood on the Riolu was worrying. She looked up at the team leader with a piercing stare. "What happened out there, Zero?"

Zero, who was sweating slightly under the demanding stares of the team, gulped audibly. He wasn't sure exactly how much he could (i.e.: should) disclose to the team. Stride had been explicit in his desire to keep the information they gained, but did that include the entirety of the Temple of Memoria?

Zero glanced at Furno, but the fire-fighting type was looking anywhere but at him. Zero could feel a faint aura of guilt emanating from the Monferno, making it clear that Furno still blamed himself to some degree over what happened. Knowing that it was neither the time or place to address this, Zero instead turned back to the concerned members of the team.

"I…got hurt while we were gone…" Zero explained rather lamely.

"No duh, but what _exactly_ happened?" Quill asked.

"Look, I'll explain everything," Zero said. "Just…can we sit down first. It's a pretty long story."

-Resistance-

The air in the lounge seemed to grow heavy. Zero and Furno sat on one side, facing their teammates, describing the events that had transpired after Angela had been teleported. They had told the group everything from their encounter with Registeel to the Temple of Memoria. The team listened with rapt attention, remaining silent throughout the duo's tale. It wasn't until Zero got into the encounter with the Beedrill that the silence was broken.

"Arceus…" Quill muttered, his face a mask of horror, an expression that the usually stoic Dusty held as well. Next to them, Weiss inhaled sharply at Zero's confession of his own death, her eyes blown wide. Bella looked like she wanted to rush over and cuddle the Riolu, but she restrained herself.

"It's…it's not that big of a deal," Zero said weakly. "I mean, I came back, right?"

"Zero…" Weiss said carefully as if talking to a frightened feral. "Even if you came back, you still _died_. That stays with you…"

"Yeah, what she said," Quill added. "There have been dozens of reports of Pokémon that have been revived using reviver seeds having…nightmares, random flashbacks, anxiety, and other things. They had a full course on it during training."

Weiss leaned forward in her seat, concern written on her face. "Zero, you need to talk to someone about this."

"Talk to someone?" Zero questioned. "Why do I need to do that?"

"Haven't you been listening to us? You _died_. That doesn't go away. Honestly, I'm surprised that Stride didn't make a point to have you talk to someone about what happened!"

"Guys, I'm _fine_ ," Zero stressed, not understanding why they were making such a big deal over this. "Nothing 'bad' has happened to me since then."

"Nothing happened to you then, but that's not to say something will not happen," Dusty commented.

"That's right!" Weiss readily agreed. "You were running off adrenaline the entire time you were in that damn dungeon! Now that you're back, you're more liable to—"

"Look, he said he was fine so drop it!" Furno interjected with a heated glare.

Weiss was taken aback by what Furno had said. She had expected the Monferno to be on her side considering his friendship with Zero. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth, a retort on the tip of tongue, but Quill placed a hand on her shoulder.

The disaster Pokémon whipped around, about to lay into the Quilladin, but stopped when she saw the serious look on the typically lax Pokémon. The grass-fighting type sent a quick sideways glance towards the two founding members of Team Dawn Breaker, a silent plea to look at them. Frowning minutely, Weiss complied to the Quilladin's silent wish. She immediately noted that Furno wasn't looking at anyone. In fact, the Monferno was staring intently at the wall, a small scowl on his face. On the other hand, Zero was staring openly Furno, concern evident in his gaze.

Weiss frowned at that. There was something going on between the two of them. If she had to hazard a guess, she would say that Furno blamed himself for what happened to Zero and that the Riolu knew but didn't know how to address it effectively. She sighed to herself. This is exactly why they needed to speak with someone.

Glancing at Quill, Weiss nodded, indicating that she understood what he was getting at. She also knew that there would be no convincing either of them to talk tonight. Both Zero and Furno were far to stubborn to listen to her at that moment. She would have to mention it periodically in hopes to chip away at them until they agreed.

Quill, upon seeing Weiss nod in understanding, began to speak. "So, what happened after that?"

Zero blinked, surprised that they were dropping the matter of his temporary death. "W-Well Furno and I managed to reach the end of the dungeon. Stride and Orion got separated from us, so we had to go on. Then we fought against the guardian of the temple, Regigigas."

"Another Regi?" Quill questioned, eyes wide. "Jeez, what's with your guys' luck?!"

"Yeah, well, our luck would have run out if Stride hadn't shown up," Furno pointed out.

"Or your evolution," Zero pointed out. Furno grunted in response, though a light blush colored his cheeks. The Riolu allowed a small smile to grace his lips before he became serious again. "But even after all that, we were still overwhelmed. Regigigas could have destroyed us, but it said we were worthy of the secrets of the temple."

"What were those secrets?' Quill asked eagerly, practically bouncing in his seat.

Zero was about to answer before he froze upon realizing that they were in dangerous territory. Glancing to his side, he noted that Furno was tense, eyeing Zero from the corner of his eye. Waiting to see what he would say.

Across from them, their four teammates were staring at them expectantly, waiting to hear what they had found. Zero bit his lip anxiously, his mind working furiously. He had to be careful of what he said lest he betray Stride's trust.

"The secrets were…about the shamans that used the temple," he explained, initially nervous but gaining more confidence as he recalled what Stride had originally told them about the temple. "Apparently the shamans used to see visions of the past through rituals."

"Really? Fascinating!" Weiss gushed, easily forgetting her earlier reservations in leu of history. "How'd they do it?"

"Uh…" Zero trailed off, shifting nervously.

"We didn't get the chance to look it over," Furno said, jumping to Zero's aid. "It wasn't what Stride was looking for so he discarded it."

"Oh," Weiss said, clearly disappointed.

Zero sent a quick glance to Furno, giving him a silent 'thank you'. Furno just nodded in response.

"Well, suck that you didn't find anything about the Silver Soul," Quill said, causing both Zero and Furno to choke on their own spit.

"Wh-What?!" Furno coughed violently.

"H-How'd you know what Stride was looking for?!" Zero practically demanded.

"Uh…because it was kind of obvious?" Quill answered uncertainly.

"I concur," Dusty said, speaking for the first time since Zero and Furno had begun their tale. "Considering Stride's obsession with it, it was rather clear that his desire to visit the temple was to find information on the Silver Soul."

"O-Oh…" Zero stuttered, forcing his heart to return to a calmer state. "I was just, surprised as all," he added with a strained chuckle.

"R-Right," Furno added helpfully.

Thankfully for the duo, Quill and Dusty seemed to accept what they had said and Bella didn't seem to care. Weiss on the other hand…Weiss was staring at both Pokémon with narrowed, almost accusing eyes. It was clear that she suspected something.

"A-Anyway, what's been happening since we've been gone," Zero said, eager to change the subject.

"Oh! You've guys missed a lot!" Quill exclaimed. "When you guys went missing, apparently they figured out that Angela had something to do with it and she got punished!"

"Punished how?" Furno asked curiously.

"She was sent to the mess hall to work as one of the servers," Quill answered.

"She _should_ have been kicked out of the Latios Division and the resistance entirely," Weiss added her own two cents. "Honestly, teleporting Pokémon, without their permission I might add, to a dangerous location… She should be court-martialed."

"That would imply that we acted within some type of governmental system," Quill pointed out. "Which we don't."

"That may be true, but she should have received a harsher punishment," Weiss grumbled stubbornly.

"I guess she's just too important for the resistance to give up," Quill said nonchalantly. "I mean she has to be pretty strong to teleport Zero and Furno so far."

"Hmph."

Zero light chuckled, having missed the Quill and Weiss' banter, but Quill got him thinking. While it was clear that Angela was strong, but that didn't explain _what_ she did. Zero remembered Stride mentioning that she had told him to go to Shrouded Forest the night the former human appeared there. Aside from that being incredibly strange, did not answer the question of what her role was in the resistance.

"Hey, what exactly does Angela do here?" Zero asked.

"What does she do?" Quill asked.

"Yeah, like what is her position in the division?" Zero clarified. "Like…is she part of a team or does she have a shop or something…"

Weiss frowned. "I don't…actually know what she does."

"You don't! Ha!" Quill laughed uproariously.

"Then what _does_ she do, if you're so smart," Weiss snapped at the Quilladin.

"As you wish, your _highness_." Weiss began growling, but Quill just laughed. "Anyway, Angela does…she is…" Quill paused, opening and closing his mouth. "…I don't know."

"Ha!" Weiss cheered triumphantly. "Not so smart now, are you?!"

"Wait. Hold on a second!" Furno interrupted before Quill could reply. "Neither of you know what she does?"

"It would appear that way," Weiss said.

"So, as far as we know, she's just a random Pokémon walking around, teleporting people?" Furno asked incredulously. "Why the hell is she even here?!"

"I'm sure she has some position here," Zero said placatingly. "There has to be a reason she's allowed here."

"You can always ask her the next time you see her," Dusty suggested.

"No, it's fine," Furno huffed. "I personally don't want to see her anytime soon. We nearly died out there!"

"Well, almost nearly," Quill joked in poor taste.

"QUILL!" Weiss said, scandalized.

"What?" Quill asked, only to falter when he saw the unimpressed glares of the team. "Oh…sorry. Just trying to, you know, lighten the mood."

Zero just shook his head, not wanting to go back to the topic of his momentary death. "So what else's been going on? Have you guys been doing missions?"

Quill, Weiss, Dusty, and Bella all looked at each other nervously, almost guiltily. "Well…we have," Weiss began, "it's just been…"

"A total wreck," Dusty said bluntly.

" _Dusty!_ " Weiss hissed.

"It's true and you know it Weiss," Quill sighed. "There's no point in lying about it."

Weiss looked mutinous for all of three seconds before she too sighed. "Fine. It was bad."

"What happened?" Zero asked.

"We could not decide on a leader," Dusty answered. "Both Quill and Weiss believed that they should be leader, which lead to arguments and confrontation."

"We completed the missions," Quill said weakly.

"After nearly jeopardizing the mission in the first place," Dusty said, his tone almost scolding.

Quill had the decency to look sheepish and Weiss looked like a child that had just been scolded. "We were unprepared for your sudden disappearance," Weiss muttered.

"Are you blaming us?" Furno demanded, suddenly defensive.

"Of course not! We were just…unprepared," Weiss responded, looking away. "Both myself and Quill acted unprofessionally. It won't happen again."

"It didn't help that Bella wouldn't listen to either of us," Quill added petulantly.

Zero could practically feel the headache beginning to form. With a long, drawn out sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at Bella. The ghost type appeared to be off in her own little world, looking at the wall as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. When she noticed the Riolu staring, she turned and smiled cheekily at him.

 _I'm going have to do something about this,_ Zero thought to himself. _She doesn't even listen to me half the time. Ugh, why did I decide to be the leader again?_

"Don't make excuses," Weiss chided. "We both go in each other's way and we both failed because of it. That's it, plain and simple."

Quill grumbled unintelligibly, but didn't refute Weiss' statement. Things must have been really bad if Quill was agreeing with Weiss.

"I guess we're going to have to establish a chain in command so this doesn't happen again," Zero sighed.

"That would probably be for the best," Weiss said, her previous sheepish expression melting into one of confidence. It was clear that she believed she would be second-in-command, or at least third after Furno.

Zero mentally rolled his eyes at the Absol. "Anyway, did anything else happen?"

Once more, the quartet glanced at one another, their nervousness almost palpable. Zero was put immediately on edge, sensing that their uncertainty was more so that previously. "Guys…what happened?"

"Nothing really," Quill said unconvincingly. "It was more like some _one_ happened."

Zero brows furrowed, not understanding what Quill was saying. He glanced at Furno, but the fire-fighting type looked just as lost. "What do you mean 'someone'?"

"I think he means me." Zero and Furno turned towards the unknown voice in surprise. Standing just outside the door frame of one of their previously unclaimed rooms, was a nervous looking Marshtomp.

The water-ground type shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, giving the starting members of Team Dawn Breaker. "H-Hi!" he squeaked. "M-My name's Bogran."

-Resistance-

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now?!" Stride demanded, his grip tightening around Phoebe's neck.

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Phoebe asked fearfully, not daring to turn intangible for fear of Stride's Night Slash.

"You lied!" Stride roared. "All this time, you've been lying!"

"About what?!" Phoebe choked desperately, her lungs not getting enough air, a substance that was vital even to ghost types.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Stride snapped, leaning in close enough for the Mismagius to feel his hot breath coming out in rapid pants. "No more lying!"

"I'm not ly—" Phoebe's desperate plea was silenced when Stride suddenly punched the wall next to her head, cracking the stone.

"Don't." Stride closed his eyes, breathing sharply in through his nose in an effort to cool his rapidly building fury. He finally opened his eyes and glared, speaking with poorly concealed anger. "Don't lie to me."

Phoebe could only shake her head the best she could. Fearful tears began to pull within her pale red eyes. She eyed the blade of dark energy in Stride's hand and the blood dripping from his abused knuckles and couldn't help but whimper pitifully.

Tired of the magical Pokémon's silence, Stride swung her around and threw her into one of her chairs, causing the piece of furniture to fall on top of her. "Enough games!" Stride shouted, stalking towards the ghost type.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Phoebe shrieked in terror, forgetting that she could fly and dragging her self across the ground. She only moved a few feet before she bumped against the back wall and froze. "P-Please! I-I don't know wh-what you're talking about!"

"Your so-called _sensing_ ability!" Stride spat. A sick sense of pleasure shot through him as he watched Phoebe's face grow even paler. "So, you now realize what this is about?"

"H-How'd you know?" she asked fearfully.

"I found the one that has it. Someone _you_ dismissed," Stride said.

"What?!" Phoebe practically yelped in surprise. "How is that…who is it?"

"No one you need to know!" Stride snapped instantly, but instead of recoiling, Phoebe's mind began to race.

"Someone I've checked…" she muttered to herself, her fear momentarily forgotten. "You were just at that temple, so you had to find the answer there…and you had…" Her eyes widened in realization. "You had that Riolu and Chimchar with you," she whispered. "One of them. One of them has the Silver Soul!"

Stride internally winced, a smidgeon of regret poked through his anger as he realized just how poor his decision to confront Phoebe was. "I'm right, aren't I?" she asked, pulling Stride from his thoughts. "It's one of them."

"Yes," he admitted, seeing no point in denying it.

"Incredible," she muttered, floating off the ground. "To think that the Silver Soul truly exists…Then again, there's always the chance that this is all some elaborate hoax…"

As she muttered, the Mismagius began to unconsciously float towards her room. However, before she could make it to the doorway, a disk of compressed water raced past her, missing her neck by inches. In that moment, Phoebe recalled the severity of the situation she was in and her fear returned full force. She turned back around to face Stride, noting that he no longer had a blade in his hands, though this did nothing to lessen the fear she was feeling

"Why'd you lie?" Stride demanded, his voice frigid.

"It wasn't my idea…" Phoebe murmured, lowering her gaze.

"What do you mean by that?" Stride questioned, his gaze narrowing. "Did someone tell you to lie about being able to sense the Silver Soul. Was the whole rumor about there being a Pokémon like that a lie?!"

Phoebe's silence said it all.

A strangled cry of anger spilled from the Greninja's closed lips. In a fit of rage, Stride attacked the room they were in. He hurled Water Shuriken at anything and everything around him, carving deep grooves in the walls and doing irreparable damage to Phoebe's chairs and bookshelf. Phoebe gave a noise of opposition, but did nothing else, scared that Stride would turn his rage on her should she intervene.

After a few minutes of destruction that left Phoebe's room in tatters, Stride seemed to calm down. Panting, both from exertion and anger, Stride relented. Taking a single deep inhale, Stride turned back to Phoebe, who had been frozen in fear.

"Who put you up to this?" he asked.

Phoebe appeared reluctant to answer. She shifted in the air in a nervous manner, visibly sweating. She sent a furtive glance towards the Greninja and knew that there was no avoiding the question. "…the emperor," she whispered, tensing in preparation for the impending explosion.

"…What?"

Phoebe violently flinched. She would have preferred an explosion over the cold, almost detached response the ninja Pokémon had given her. "You heard what I said," she said, trying to reestablish her usual bravado. "Don't make me repeat myself!"

With a growl, Stride stomped forward and grabbed Phoebe by the throat again. "What. Did. You. Say?"

Phoebe swallowed, or at least tried to. It was quite difficult with Stride grabbing her throat like he was. "The emperor!" she gasped. "The emperor had me pretend to be able to sense the Silver Soul!"

"So you're working for the emperor?!" Stride demanded, shaking the ghost slightly. "All this time?! What have you been doing? _Spying_?! Giving the emperor information on the Latios Division?!"

"No!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I never worked for the emperor!"

"Stop lying!" Stride hissed. "You said it yourself, the emperor put you up to this!"

"You don't understand!" she cried desperately, struggling to get enough air. "The whole town was in on it. It was a trap for you!"

At that, Stride's grip went slack and Phoebe fell to the ground, coughing and spluttering. When she had taken several grateful gulps of air, Phoebe then floated from the ground and warily hovered in front of the Greninja. "What do you mean?" Stride asked.

"The emperor…he knew about your obsession with the Silver Soul," Phoebe explained. "He…he sent his soldiers to my village as part of a plan to catch you. They said that they needed someone to pretend to have the ability to sense the Silver Soul and lead you into an ambush. In return, they would protect us from the 'rebels.'"

Stride nodded, knowing full well that those under the emperor's control were fed lies about how the resistance were the true evildoers of the world. He spread lies about how the resistance was nothing more than extremist that sought to overturn everything the 'benevolent' emperor has accomplished. Stride waved his hand, requesting that Phoebe continue.

Phoebe nodded and started again. "My village is- _was_ on the side of the emperor, so they saw nothing wrong with going along with his plan. In the end, I was to chosen to be the one to lure you to the ambush while the rest of the town would spread rumors of my 'ability.' Then we were to wait until contacted."

"If you were supposed to lead me to an ambush, then why did things go the way they did?" Stride questioned.

"Because that was there _actual_ plan," Phoebe answered bitterly. "The soldiers didn't want to take the chance that I'd get cold feet or you would escape, so the 'trap' became a death trap."

Phoebe shuddered as she recalled the screams and the fires that consumed her village. "They planted explosives around the village and detonated them when you and your compatriots entered. After that, well…you know what happened next."

Stride frowned, not entirely believing the magical Pokémon. "Then why keep up the charade? Why continue to say that you could sense the Silver Soul?"

"I was scared!" Phoebe exclaimed. "My village had literally exploded, the emperor's soldiers were attacking anything that moved, villagers included. I just wanted to get out of their before I died. I figured that going along with you all would be my best bet, so I lied to convince you all to take me with you. Please," she added desperately. "You have to believe me!"

Stride stared at the Mismagius for a long time, not saying a word or giving any indication that he had heard Phoebe. "I believe you," he said finally, causing Phoebe to visibly relax.

"So…what happens now?" she asked uncertainly. "Do…do you want me to leave?"

"No," Stride said immediately. "You know too much, both about this division and the Silver Soul. I won't risk you going to the emperor with this information."

"But I told you that I wasn't with the emperor!" Phoebe exclaimed, scandalized.

"Just like you _told_ us that you could sense the Silver Soul?" Stride questioned cruelly, causing Phoebe to recoil as if struck. "I may believe your reason for lying, but that doesn't mean that I trust you not to go to the emperor the minute you leave."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Phoebe asked. The second she asked this, a wave of anger that wasn't hers crashed down upon her, squeezing the air from her longs and causing her to collapse.

Stride regarded the cowering ghost type. "The same thing you've been doing all these years; lie. You will live the lie you've made for yourself from now until the war is over. After that, you will leave and pray that I never see you again. Understood?"

"U-Understood" Phoebe swallowed, shrinking under Stride's Intent.

"Good," Stride said coldly. He turned to leave before pausing. "And Phoebe?"

"Y-Yes?"

"If I find out that you've been sending information to the emperor or anyone else for that matter, you won't have to worry about living a lie any longer because I will end it. Permanently." With those final, chilling words, Stride left Phoebe alone in the tattered remains of her room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Bogran

Zero and Furno stared blankly at the seemingly random Marshtomp standing in the middle of the rooms. The Marshtomp, whose name was apparently Bogran, to his credit, stood didn't so much as twitch under the intense stares of the two original members of Team Dawn Breaker. Zero did notice a single bead of sweat running down his face.

"So…" the mud fish Pokémon said when the silence passed five minutes. "Um…I'm Bogran and you two are Zero and Furno…right?"

That seemed to snap Zero out of his stupor. "Y-Yeah. I mean, yes," Zero said, focusing fully on the water-ground type. "I'm Zero and this is Furno." He gestured to his friend who awkwardly waved.

"H-Hey."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, sirs!" Bogran said happily.

"'Sirs'?" Zero repeated.

Bogran sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. Isn't that how I should address you two? You guys are like, the founders of the team. It wouldn't be right if I called you by your names!"

Furno leaned over and whispered in Zero's ears. "I like the way this guy thinks."

Zero rolled his eyes at his friend's antics and turned back to the Marshtomp. "You don't need to call us 'sir' or anything else. Just Zero and Furno."

"Killjoy," Furno muttered.

"Anyway," Zero said, sending a pointed look towards Furno, "what exactly are you here for?"

"Oh. Um…" Bogran shifted anxiously. "I was hoping to…you know…" His voice petered off to a whisper towards the end, making it unintelligible.

"Uh, what was that?" Zero asked. "I didn't hear you."

Bogran looked helplessly towards Quill, Weiss, Dusty, and Bella, silently asking for their help. "Don't look at us. You're the one that wanted this," Weiss said, getting a nod from Quill and Dusty. Bella didn't look to be paying attention.

Bogran made a low whining noise from the back of his throat. Giving the quartet another pleading look, which was promptly ignored, he turned back to Zero and Furno, the latter of whom were getting impatient.

"Out with it!" Furno snapped, ignoring the reproachful look Zero was giving him.

"Iwannajointeamdawnbreaker!" Bogran said hurriedly, speaking too fast to be understood.

"Uh, a little bit slower," Zero suggested.

Bogran nodded, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "I want to join your team. I want to join Team Dawn Breaker."

Zero blinked in surprise, having not expected such a request. "Y-You do?"

"Well, I want to join the resistance in general," Bogran admitted, "but these guys seemed nice enough when I met them," Bogran explained, gesturing to Quill, Weiss, and Dusty. "The Banette, on the other hand, was a little…weird."

If Bella took offense, she gave no indication. She just stared at the ceiling, seemingly not paying attention. Had it not been for a slight twitch of her arm at the mention of her name, Zero would have guessed she was in her own little world.

"Yeah, that's just Bella," Furno said dismissively.

"Right," Bogran said, sending the marionette Pokémon an apprehensive look. "A-Anyway, I thought that, maybe I could join them and help the resistance, but they said that they'd have to ask the leader of the team."

"I see," Zero said. While the Marshtomp wasn't the first to ask to join the team, that distinction belonged to Quill, Zero couldn't help but feel a little curious. "Why exactly do you want to join?"

"Well, like I said, everyone was pretty cool and…" Bogran began, but Zero cut him off.

"No, I mean why do you want to join the _resistance_?" Zero clarified.

"Oh! Well…it's a bit of a long story," Bogran said, suddenly becoming somber. "And it's not exactly…happy."

"I imagine not if you want to fight in the resistance," Weiss commented. "I do have to admit though, I find myself curious as to why you wish to join."

"Yeah, you never told us when we found you," Quill said. "You just said that you needed to speak to someone high up in the resistance."

Bogran's eyes fell to the floor and his fins seemed to droop. "Well, I guess it started back when I was a Mudkip. Growing up, I was always scared of the emperor. The village elders told ghost stories to the children about him and the horrible things he's done, always saying that, if you misbehaved, the emperor would come and 'snatch you up.'"

"Huh. It almost makes him seem like a fairy tale rather than a real entity," Weiss commented.

"More like a nightmare," Quill quipped.

"Guys," Zero said sharply.

"No, it's fine," Bogran assured. "In fact, it's like Weiss said. Back then, he _was_ just a fairy tale. An urban legend like the Boogeyman. He wasn't real, and that's what the elders intended. They wanted the emperor to be nothing more than a myth, so that the children would be scared in their dreams, not in real life." Bogran chuckled in a nostalgic manner. His smiled soon diminished, however, and his entire demeanor read broken. "And that's how things were, for years. Until…they weren't."

"The emperor sent his soldiers to your village," Furno reasoned.

"Got it in one," Bogran said with a joyless smile. "My village was neutral, or as neutral as you can be in a time like this. Obviously, we weren't for the emperor, but we didn't actively support the resistance either. We were peaceful, and we wanted no part in any of the of the bloodshed that was taking place, but, in the end, it didn't matter. Because the emperor did what he always does; he conquered."

Bogran paused, turning his gaze upwards. He ran his large hands down his face, exhaling sharply as he did so. "Not that we fought back. Like I said, we were peaceful, no one really knew how to fight properly and those that tried were cut down by the soldiers. So, in the end, the soldiers took over and we became apart of the empire. That was a year ago."

"That's the emperor for you," Quill said grimly. "There's no limit to his cruelty. He takes whatever he wants, even random villages. He just wants to showcase his power."

"Well, capturing village wasn't exactly random," Bogran said, once more gaining the team's attention. "If I had to guess, it was a strategic move."

"How so?" Furno questioned.

Weiss frowned, her gaze narrowing as if she were just seeing Bogran for the first time. "What's that name of your village?"

Bogran turned towards Weiss, holding her gaze for several seconds in total silence before replying. "Muddleville."

"Muddleville?!" Weiss gasped. "You're from _Muddleville_?! The village right on the shore of Lake Abundance. That Muddleville?!"

"That's right," Bogran confirmed.

"Arceus," Quill said, resting his head in his hand. He looked as if he had just been told he would have to leave the resistance.

"Are you kidding me?" Furno demanded rather heatedly. He leaned out of seat, his eyes trained on the mud fish Pokémon. "Are you being serious? The emperor is in control of Muddleville?!"

"It's true," Bogran responded somberly.

"Um, I think I'm missing something here. Why's everyone reacting like this?" Zero asked, completely lost.

"Zero, Lake Abundance is an incredibly large lake that has several connecting tributaries," Weiss began to explain. "Those tributaries branch out to hundreds of rivers and streams that span over almost all of Lyore."

"Okay…" Zero said, not really understanding what Weiss was getting at.

Weiss rolled her eyes, muttering something unintelligible under her breath. "Zero. Those streams and rivers act as the water sources for countless villages and town and Muddleville is the only community near it."

"So, the emperor has control over the water," Zero realized.

"To an extent," Weiss said. "While they do have control of Muddleville, Lake Abundance is, as the name suggests, incredibly large. There's not much they can do such a large body, despite it being the source of most of Lyore's water."

"That's where you're wrong." Everyone turned back to the Marshtomp. Bogran stood stock still, his head bowed so no one could see his expression. "What a lot of people don't know is that the people of Muddleville maintain the tributaries of the lake. We clear out any obstructions or build ups that form at their entrances because, if one tributary is closed off, that's several places that go without water."

He raised his head, revealing a blank expression. "And that's just what the emperor wants to cause. He wants to dry out Lyore."

"Dry out…Lyore?" Dusty asked, blinking in surprise.

Bogran nodded solemnly. "About six months after Muddleville was taken over, the emperor ordered us to begin construction on a large dam. One that will block off all of the lake's tributaries."

"He wants to purposely block of the tributaries?!" Quill exclaimed. "That's…That's…"

"Genius," Weiss said. Everyone turned towards the red Absol, looks of confusion and incredulousness all around. "Oh, don't look at me like that," she said with an annoyed huff. "From a strategical sense, cutting off your opponents water supply practically guarantees a win." She then directed her attention to Bogran. "This would explain why you needed to talk to the higher ups."

"Yeah," Bogran said. "The resistance needed to know what the emperor was planning."

"So, you defied the emperor, escaped the soldiers occupying your village, and ran to the resistance," Furno said, impressed.

"Not exactly," Bogran denied.

"He was about to be executed when we encountered him," Dusty said bluntly.

Bogran shrugged. "They didn't like how rebellious I was. Or that I was actively trying to sabotage the dam," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"You were actively _sabotaging_ the dam?" Quill said, whistling in appreciation. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."

"Well no one else was doing anything," Bogran said with another shrug.

"Even so, it was incredibly dangerous," Weiss scolded. "The soldiers are known to be ruthless to anyone who defies them."

"Yeah, I noticed that when they tried to execute me," Bogran said dryly. "If it helps, I had been sabotaging them since I evolved a couple months ago and they only recently caught me."

"You lasted two months without being caught?" Furno asked, slightly skeptical. "We're you working with other Pokémon?"

"Not exactly," Bogran said. "The Pokémon of Muddleville were, and still are, at least for the most part, peaceful. No one wanted to do anything to piss of the emperor and incur the wrath of the occupying soldiers. They just did what they were told without fuss."

"But not you," Zero said.

"No. At least, not now," Bogran confessed. "Back when I was a Mudkip, I was like everyone else; timid, shy, submissive. I did what I was told like a 'good boy'." Bogran pulled a face of disgust at the term. "Then I evolved and with the new form…"

"A new personality," Zero said, glancing at Furno from the corner of his eye.

Bogran nodded. "Yep. Unlike as a Mudkip, I became much more outgoing and rebellious. Not to mention I developed a desire to train and battle. Before I began to even think about sabotaging the dam, I felt…energetic, like I had eaten ten chesto berries but at all times. As an outlet, I began to train myself, becoming stronger than I ever was as a Mudkip. It wasn't long before the soldiers took note of me and forced me to work on the dam."

"I'm surprised they didn't try and recruit you," Furno commented.

"They tried, but I was adamant," Bogran explained. "As such, they put me to work in hopes that I would stop training and their little problem would disappear. I, of course, still trained myself, at night and out of sight."

"And when did you decide to be a saboteur?" Weiss asked.

"Shortly after I started working on the dam," Bogran answered. "I saw how the soldiers were treating the other villagers. How they worked us to near exhaustion, even the elderly. Their cruelty and the brutal manner they treated the entire village. I just couldn't take it anymore."

Bogran had to stop and take a deep breath. He slowly uncurled his fingers that had been formed into tight fists just moment ago, and continued to breathe slowly. "I started off small, diluting the concrete with water attacks or weakening the scaffolding. Then I moved to physically attacking the dam."

"And you weren't caught?" Zero asked, surprised.

"Nope," Bogran said, a glimmer of pride creeping over his expression. "I never got caught."

"Until you were," Dusty pointed out.

"Well, I wasn't caught in the way you think," Bogran said ambiguously.

"What do you mean by that?" Zero questioned.

"Well, after the soldiers couldn't find out who was messing with the dam, they gave an ultimatum. If the saboteur didn't come forward, they would start killing villagers."

Silence consumed the room at Bogran's horrifying statement. It was no secret to anyone in the resistance that the emperor's soldiers were cruel, but hearing how they were willing to kill innocent Pokémon was…

"That's horrendous!" Weiss exclaimed in disgust, a sentiment that was mirrored by the rest of the team.

"I knew the emperor was cruel, but this takes the cake," Quill snarled.

Furno remained silent, but the flames on the tip of his tail sparked ominously. Even Bella was giving a low, guttural growl, her once passive expression distorted into a furious glare.

"So that is how you were caught," Dusty spoke, his voice tight but steadily calm. "You surrendered in order to save the lives of your village."

"In a way…I did things a little more selfishly," Bogran said, looking slightly ashamed. "Instead of just coming forward, I attacked the dam. I made it obvious that it was me doing it, and when the soldiers moved in on me, I ran. I ran so far, but those soldiers were tenacious. I didn't want to die…I didn't…"

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to live," Weiss said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "You did nothing wrong."

"Not to mention you saved your village," Quill pointed out. "That was pretty selfless."

Bogran shook his head. "I didn't save them. They're still _enslaved_ by the emperor. And that's why I want join the resistance." Bogran turned to face Zero, his jaw set and his orange eyes burning with fire. He walked forward so that he stood directly in front of the Riolu. "I have to do something to help my village. My family."

To everyone's shock, Bogran got down on his knees and bowed his head, his forehead touching the ground. "Please," he begged. "Let me join your team!"

Zero, for his part, was utterly stunned. There he was, sitting in the middle of his team's rooms with another Pokémon _begging_ him to join. Between Bogran's story and the fact that he was on his knees, Zero saw that Bogran was indeed sincere in his desire without reading his emotions, but that wasn't what he was worried about. He already had five other members on the team and he was just getting used to being in charge of _that_ many Pokémon. He wasn't sure if he could manage six.

"Bogran…" Zero spoke carefully, "I can see you're adamant about all this, but I'm not sure if I have the authority to let you join the resistance…"

"The tribunal gave me permission to join," Bogran interrupted, not lifting his head. "They said I could either join the training program or find a team that would accept me.

Zero bit his lip. _Well there goes that,_ he thought. He was conflicted. He didn't want to turn Bogran away, but he didn't know if he was capable of handling another team member.

He looked down at the Marshtomp, the Pokémon that was baring his soul to the Riolu, and he knew. He knew he couldn't turn the Pokémon away.

"You can join."

Bogran's head snapped up. "What?" he asked, eyes wide with shock.

"You can join," Zero repeated. "Though I must warn you, Team Dawn Breaker is still relatively new. Chances are we won't be on the frontlines. We'll be doing an assortment of missions to nearby towns, cities, and mystery dungeons. We most likely won't be encountering any of the emperor's soldiers."

"Th-That's fine!" Bogran gasped, still in shock. "I'll do whatever! As long as I'm helping people and I have the chance to get stronger!"

"Then welcome to Team Dawn Breaker," Zero said, a small smile forming on his face.

Bogran stayed where he was, seemingly processing what Zero had just said. In the next second, he was on his feet, a loud cheer escaping his lips. "Thank you!" he cried. In the spur of the moment, he grabbed Zero off of the couch and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"You're welcome!" Zero chocked out, awkwardly patting the water-ground type's back.

" _Oi! Shut up! We're tryin' ta sleep!_ "

The sudden voice from the wall caused Team Dawn Breaker to freeze. Bogran set Zero down and turned to the wall, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry!" he called, hoping to appease the ones on the other side of the wall.

They heard grumbling before silence was once more instilled. Bogran turned back to Zero, still smiling like a loon. "Thank you," he said yet again, though much quieter than before. "I won't let you down!"

Zero gave a short nod of assent before turning to the rest of the team. "Well, it's late, so let's get some rest."

"But what about tomorrow's mission?" Weiss asked before Zero could even move towards his room. "You and Furno have been given a break, but the rest of us still have to go out, so who's going to lead us?"

Zero sighed tiredly, the events of the past few days fully encompassing him. "To be honest, I'm way too tired to even begin to think about that. I would say do what you've been doing, but…" He gave his team, sans Bogran, pointed looks, earning sheepish ones in return. "Can I trust you guys to pull it together for at least one more mission?"

"Yes, sir!" Quill responded, though his cheeky smile didn't give Zero confidence.

"Right," Zero commented, too tired to really refuse. He yawned unabashedly and gave his team a bleary look. "Night all. See you tomorrow."

A chorus of 'night' answered Zero's call as the rest of the team, including Bogran, entered their rooms. All save for one Pokémon.

"Furno?" Zero asked, noticing his friend had remained where he was. "You going to bed?"

"In a minute," the Monferno called back. "I just…want stay for a bit. It's just…good to be back and I want to soak it in for a bit."

"Oh, okay," Zero said, seeing nothing wrong with that. "Just don't stay up too long."

Furno gave a short, dismissing wave, turning away from the former human. Zero watched his friend for a few more seconds before ducking into his room and closed the door behind him. Furno turned his head slightly, staring at Zero's closed door. He waited several seconds before getting up and walking over to where they kept their pack.

He rummaged through the pack for several seconds before pulling out a blue and yellow, acorn shaped fruit. With a sigh, he sank his teeth into the dry tasting berry, relishing in the spike of energy that washed away his tiredness.

-Resistance-

All too soon, Zero was roused from his slumber by an incessant knocking coming from the main door to their rooms. It had been so long since he slept in an actual bed. He didn't want to get up. He wanted to just curl back into his bed and go back to sleep, but the knocking persisted.

With a groan, Zero pulled himself out of his nice, warm, comforting bed and left his room. His body immediately protested the action. Soreness latched onto him like a blanket, eliciting painful jolts through his body with each movement, giving the Riolu even more reason to curl back up in his bed. Against his better judgement, he ignored his body's protests and entered the lounge.

At the same moment, Furno exited his room, looking just as tired and worn out as Zero felt. The fire-fighting type gave a grunt as a greeting, a hop, skip, and a jump from the typical jubilant greeting he usually gave. "Who's at the door?" Furno grumbled as a new wave of knocks echoed through their room. "Weren't we supposed to have today off?"

"We're supposed to," Zero said, barely withholding a yawn. Reluctantly, and with no small amount of annoyance, Zero dragged himself to their door and opened it, revealing someone Zero hadn't expected to see so soon. "Stride?"

The Greninja gave the former human a tired smile. His eyes had dark bruises around them and he was slouching as if his limbs were weighing him down. "Zero," he said. "Good to see you up."

"Not like we had a choice," Furno grumbled as he walked over.

"Well, eat a chesto berry because we've got training," Stride said.

"But didn't we get a break?" Zero asked, trying to keep his voice even, though inside he was screaming.

"You are excused from taking missions, but that doesn't mean that you should let your skills atrophy," Stride replied a little testily.

"But shouldn't we at least rest?" Zero persisted. "I mean, what good is training if your body doesn't get the chance to recover and heal?" he said, recalling one of the first things Monty told them.

"You had time to rest, now come on," Stride said shortly, his smile turning into an annoyed frown. He then turned sharply on his heel and marched down the hall. With twin groans, both Zero and Furno reluctantly left their rooms and hurried to catch up with their mentor.

Stride led the duo through the halls and down the many flights of stairs to the training center. The entire time, Stride didn't so much as glance back at Zero and Furno. The ninja Pokémon didn't even return the greetings that other members of the Latios Division gave as he walked past. He just marched forward, his gaze never faltering.

Slightly worried, Zero tried to engage him in conversation. "So…how did are things with Team Surge?"

As soon as the question left his mouth, Zero wanted to kick himself. Stride had been essentially kicked off his _own_ team, at least temporarily, and Zero just asked how things were. That was the equivalent of pouring salt on an open wound. Thankfully for him, it appeared that Stride found his question at least slightly amusing as a dry chuckle escaped him.

"As well as you might expect," Stride commented. "They're all rather cross with me at the moment. I guess going against their wishes and going off on my own didn't exactly 'click' with them. They were all in agreement that I had to face punishment."

"I take it you didn't tell them about what we found," Zero said.

"No," Stride replied shortly, knowing exactly what Zero was referring to. "As I said, the less that know of what we found, the better."

Zero nodded, though Stride didn't see it. "So…who's running the team now?"

"Seth."

"Him? Seriously?" Furno asked. "Why not someone like Bolt? At least he's not a total jerk."

"Seth may be a 'jerk', as you call him, and, while I agree, he _is_ my second in command," Stride said. "He may come off as crass and bitter, but he does have what it takes to lead the team. Bolt me be significantly kinder, but he lacks the same leadership qualities that Seth has."

"Hmph," Furno grunted. "Going back to the punishment thing, how come you're training us instead of working with Xion?"

"I start with her tomorrow," Stride answered. "The Tribunal wanted me to at least have a day of rest before they set me to work. Punishment or not."

"So, we _were_ supposed to rest!" Furno stated, a look of triumph on his face.

"Yes, though as I said, it wouldn't do for our skills to atrophy when we don't have to actually work," Stride replied coolly.

Furno, for his part, just grumbled unintelligibly. His arms crossed over his chest, a scowl marring his face. Furno never scowled, even when he was tired. It was strange to see such differences in his friend, and slightly worrying. Zero knew that evolution tended to change a Pokémon's personality, but he still hoped that he would go back to how he was.

The rest of there trek was in silence, and not a comfortable one. Despite his seemingly willingness to talk, the Greninja felt sullen to Zero. Like he was in a bad mood but with no cause. It worried him almost as much as Furno's personality change did.

Eventually, the heavy tension gave way as the trio entered the training facility. As it was still rather early, there weren't that many Pokémon present save for a few fighting types that had practically taken over the weights and other workout equipment. Stride ignored all of this and walked purposefully towards the battle fields where Monty was shifting forms. Ironically, his current form was that of Regigigas, bringing up bad memories for the group.

Looking up at it, Zero noticed that there were several differences between Monty's form and the actual Regigigas, like how the colors of the gems on his chest as well as the arrangement of black lines on his body differed from the original. Monty's form also appeared to be slightly shorter than the actual legend. A sudden thought of the Ditto's reaction to getting a first-hand description of Regigigas, nearly sent Zero into a fit of giggles.

"Ah, Stride!" Monty called when he saw the Greninja. It was strange hearing such a soft and mellow voice coming from the currently colossal Pokémon, especially after hearing the legend's actual voice, was incredibly strange. Monty stomped towards the trio, his body shrinking with each step and his colors shifted. When he reached them, Monty was in the form of a Scizor.

"How are you? I heard about your little trip to the Ruins of Reminiscence," he said slyly as if telling a secret. "I don't suppose you've got any new transformations for me?"

"Maybe some other time," Stride said rather shortly. "Right now, I need you to help Furno. As you can see, he has gone through an evolution. He needs help controlling his power as well as any personality changes."

Furno blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

Monty frowned, suddenly becoming serious. "While I can help with control of his new physical attributes, I can't really do anything for any personality shift. You might want to talk to Dr. Kuren about that."

"That's fine," Stride said with a small nod. He then turned to Zero. "Come now, Zero. We have work to do."

"Wait! Just hold on a second!" Furno suddenly shouted. "You said that _you_ would be training us, Stride!" Furno glared heatedly at the water-dark type, but Zero could see a hint of betrayal and hurt behind his mask of anger.

"Furno, you have just gone through an evolution," Stride said, speaking slowly as if talking to a child. "You have not had the chance to fully acclimate to you new form, or the power behind it. You need to learn how to control that before you can move on to serious training."

Furno frowned mutinously, but nodded just the same and walked over to Monty. The transformed Ditto led the Monferno to a corner of the field, shifting into an Infernape as they walked. With the duo gone, Stride turned back to Zero.

"Okay then. When we were heading back, you mentioned you had an idea of how to control the Silver Soul. What is it?" Stride practically demanded.

Slightly surprised by the question, Zero scrambled to gather his thoughts. "Um, well, I was thinking, sense Orion mentioned how aura was basically the power of the soul, I thought that by mastering aura manipulation, I could master it," he rambled.

"Hmm, that does make sense," Stride nodded. "In that case, we'll focus on strengthening your connection to your aura."

"Um…not to be rude or anything, but shouldn't Orion be helping me with this?" Zero asked, eyeing the ninja Pokémon carefully. "I mean, Lucario are supposed to be masters of aura manipulation…"

"There are other Lucario besides Orion," Stride replied shortly. "Besides, Orion left early this morning."

"Oh," Zero murmured, feeling a stab of guilt just thinking about Orion and how they lied to him.

"Regardless, as we don't have any Lucario on hand at the moment, so I will be helping you," Stride said, moving to stand on the opposite side of the chalk drawn field. "As I'm sure Orion no doubt has told you, aura is the force behind every technique that Pokémon can use, regardless of typing. It can also be used to strengthen the body far beyond of the normal capabilities of a Pokémon. That is what you will be doing."

The Greninja turned to face Zero, summoning twin blades of dark energy. "We are going to spar, but you will be forbidden from using any of your moves. Instead, you are to fend me off with normal attacks fueled by your aura."

"How do I do that?" Zero asked, feeling incredibly uneasy.

"Look inwards and grab hold of the power that fuels your moves without using the actual move!" Stride instructed.

 _That doesn't really help,_ Zero thought bitterly. Regardless, he tried to do as Stride instructed and closed his eyes. He looked inward and attempted to grab hold of his energy. When he had done so, he focused on trying to circulate it through his body. Immediately he felt energy coursing through him, making him stronger…

"No!"

Before Zero knew what was happening, a blinding pain blossomed across his stomach. His concentration broke as he fell to his knees, clutching his stomach and coughing violently.

"That was Final Gambit," Stride snarled furiously, his glare causing the Riolu to flinch. "I though I forbid you from using that move!"

"Sorry!" Zero rasped out. "What you said to do was just so similar to Orion's instructions on how to use Final Gambit. I didn't know what else to do!"

"You were using fighting type energy," Stride growled. "Using aura requires you to use the energy before it develops a type. You have to reach deeper!"

"I don't know how!" Zero cried out desperately, but his cry fell upon deaf ears.

"Prepare yourself," Stride said before lunging at Zero.

With a yelp, Zero scrambled off the ground, just narrowly avoiding Stride's Night Slash. Stride didn't let up his assault, pursuing Zero as he attempted to flee. The Riolu did what he could to dodge, but Stride was just too fast. Soon, Zero was covered in several scratches and cuts, several of which were bleeding. He tried to reach within himself and grab hold of his aura, but he wasn't given the chance to focus.

Stride suddenly lashed out and kicked Zero hard enough to send him skidding across the field. "Come on!" Stride shouted. "Are you even trying?!"

Zero gasped violently, unable to respond. With a furious growl, Stride once more launched himself towards Zero, his blade poised to strike. Zero, who was just getting to his feet, looked up in time to see Stride lunging at him, his blade poised to pierce Zero's chest.

The former human was about to dodge, when he froze. Suddenly, Stride wasn't Stride. He was a Beedrill. A Beedrill with one of its stingers stretched out to pierce through Zero's heart.

Fear gripped Zero, constricting him like an Onix using bind. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He could only do one thing.

He screamed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Trauma

Furno was understandably upset over being blown off by Stride. The Greninja had promised to train them. _Both_ of them. Yet Stride had practically cast him aside in favor of _Zero_.

The newly evolved Monferno released a shaky breath, trying to calm himself. _It's not Zero's fault,_ he told himself. _He had no say in any of this._

"Focus, Furno!" Monty called, pulling Furno from his thoughts. The transform Pokémon, currently in the form of a Monferno, tapped his foot impatiently.

"I am focused," Furno responded mulishly.

Monty just raised a brow. "Uh huh," he responded, clearly not believing the young Pokémon's bold-faced lie.

"Whatever!" Furno hissed with a biting glare. "Let's just get this over with."

"This is why I don't like working with newly evolved Pokémon, especially fire types. Always so volatile," Monty muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Furno to hear him. Said fire type's eye twitched, but held his tongue. "Any way, I want you to use Ember."

"Ember?" Furno asked. "I haven't used that move since I learned Flamethrower. Why do you want me to use that move?"

"Just humor me," Monty said, smiling knowingly.

With a scowl, Furno decided to humor the Ditto. Directing his gaze towards a nearby stalagmite, the fire-fighting type began pull from his inner core, drawing his fire up his throat and into his mouth. He tried to bring up only a small amount of flames, but he suddenly lost control and a massive gout of fire erupted from his mouth.

Surprised, Furno flailed wildly and fell onto his rear, his mouth snapping shut on impact. The flames swelled in his mouth, heating the inside of his flame-resistant mouth to uncomfortable level. With nowhere for it to go, Furno was forced to swallow his flames, causing him to cough violently, smoke curling out of his mouth.

Next to him, Monty was laughing uproariously. "That's about what I expected."

Furno whirled around towards the false Monferno, his glare diminished by the pained tears and coughing. "What…do you…mean… _expected_?" he demanded, his voice raspy from the smoke.

"This type of thing tends to happen after a Pokémon undergoes evolution," Monty began to explain. "As I'm sure you know, evolution is more than just a change in appearance. In a sense, everything about you is enhanced. Your strength, speed, constitution, and power are all increased dramatically. However, despite your physicality changing, your mentality remains the same."

"Huh?"

"Think of it this way; evolution is like if you just suddenly woke up in the body of another Pokémon. You would be uncomfortable to say the least, unsure of how to fully use your limbs and abilities. Yes, there is an instinctive knowledge of how to use your abilities, but your control is nowhere near it was."

"I see," Furno said. "That's why my Ember was like that. I have more power than I'm used to controlling."

"Exactly!" Monty agreed with a wide grin. "As a Monferno, you have a lot more fire power than you did as a Chimchar. You need to relearn control so you don't unleash a raging inferno every time you use a fire attack."

"But wouldn't that be a good thing?" Furno asked. "I mean, in battle, wouldn't unleashing all that power make the battle end quicker?"

"I don't know, would sprinting across a desert be better than moving at a consistent pace?" Monty asked rhetorically. "Sure, blasting an enemy with a virtual wall of fire could work, but should that enemy be capable of weathering your attacks, or if there's multiple enemies, you'd run out of steam and you'd be as good as dead."

"I guess that makes sense," Furno said begrudgingly, not at all appreciative of the Ditto's snark.

If Monty noticed Furno's irritation, he didn't comment on it. He instead focused on the stalagmite that Furno had attacked, now only half its original size and still smoldering. "Now, I want you to try and use Ember again, but remember to—"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Whatever Monty was going to say was lost when a bloodcurdling scream tore through the room. Both Furno and Monty whirled around to where Zero and Stride had been sparring just in time to see Zero fall back onto his rear, with Stride standing above him with a blade of dark energy in his hand.

Not even thinking, Furno rushed forward, sliding to his knees next to his friend. "Zero? Zero!"

When the Riolu didn't respond, Furno grabbed the fighting type's shoulders and spun him around to face him. Zero's eyes were wide and glassy, his pupils nothing more than tiny dots. Furno could feel the fear rolling off the Riolu in waves, further worrying Furno as Zero was always good at stopping his emotions from effecting others.

"Zero?" Furno repeated, lightly shaking his friend. "Can you hear me? Zero?"

The emanation Pokémon still didn't respond. His eyes, despite facing Furno, seemed to look past Furno to Stride, or more specifically, his blade.

"Stride, for Arceus' sake, drop your Night Slash!" Monty shouted, suddenly next to Furno.

Stride, who had been frozen the entire time, eyes blown wide in surprise and confusion, seemed to jolt at Monty's voice. He immediately dropped his weapon, the dark blade dispersing into a wisp of dark energy before disappearing completely.

Furno ignored all this in favor of giving Zero all his attention. "Zero? Come on, talk to me. Zero!"

Zero twitched at Furno's final shout. His pupils began to dilate and his shaking became a slight shiver. "F-Furno?" he asked shakily.

"Yeah, it's me," Furno said, relief flooding through him. "It's me."

"F-Furno?" Zero asked again. "I-I don't…I don't…" Zero trailed off, his eyes suddenly becoming droopy before he passed out in Furno's arms.

Furno looked up at Stride and Monty, taking in their alarmed and shocked expressions. "What the hell was that?"

-Resistance-

Furno and Stride stood anxiously by as Kuren and an Espeon fretted over and unconscious Zero. The second the former human had passed out, Stride had scooped him up and rushed him to the clinic, Furno hot on his heels. Blessedly, the doctor was free and quickly ushered them to an empty bed. When Spinda couldn't find anything physically wrong with the Riolu, called in Stella, the Espeon, to take a look in his mind. Nothing invasive, just a surface scan in order to determine what had caused him to faint.

She had started five minutes ago.

"What's taking so long?" Stride demanded impatiently. "I thought this wasn't a deep mind reading or whatever."

"It's not," the Espeon replied curtly, not taking her eyes off Zero. "Even though I am just scanning his surface thoughts, I still must decipher the reason behind Zero's collapse. This type of thing takes time."

Stride muttered under his breath, but didn't interrupt again. Furno glanced at his mentor, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He had a feeling that the Greninja was mainly worried about Stella seeing Zero's memories of the Temple of Memoria, but he didn't comment on it. He was too worried about his friend.

"What happened to lead up to Zero's collapse?" Kuren asked Stride, most likely as an attempt to distract the Greninja from Stella.

"We were just sparring when he suddenly screamed and fell back," Stride said. "He passed out shortly afterwards."

"You were sparring?!" Kuren asked incredulously, looking at Stride as if he had grown a second head. "You just got back from that Arceus-forsaken dungeon and yes. The tribunal informed me of your little excursion in case any of you bothered to show up to the clinic," Kuren added when he saw the surprised look on Stride's face. "I had hoped that you'd have enough sense to get a checkup at the very least after such an ordeal, but clearly I thought too highly of you."

Stride swallowed thickly, at least having the decency to look chastised. The Spinda gave a low groan, running his paws down his face, his perpetually spiraled eyes somehow appearing tired and agitated. "Stride, you of all Pokémon should know the consequences of not getting enough rest. Pushing one as young as Zero like this will kill him eventually!"

Furno's head snapped up at that. " _Kill him_?"

"I said eventually!" Kuren said, quick to reassure the Monferno. "As it is now, Zero is showing clear signs of fatigue, but nothing life threatening."

"Could that have been what caused him to collapse?" Stride asked.

"I imagine that that's only half of the problem," Kuren said grimly. "I have my suspicions, but I wanted to be sure. Which is why I called Stella."

"And you were right to," the Espeon said, drawing attention back to her. The sun Pokémon looked up for the first time, her lavender eyes fixing on Stride. "It would appear that young Zero is suffering from PTSD."

"PTSD?" Stride questioned, his voice quiet.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder," Stella clarified.

"I know what it stands for," Stride snapped. "What I want to know is how Zero developed it!"

"It would appear that, during your little spar, Zero had a vision of a Beedrill of all things when you were sparring with him." Stella's gaze turned accusing. "Any idea of why this would be."

For several seconds, no one spoke. Stride looked stubbornly held the physic type's gaze, refusing to speak. Eventually, it was Furno who spoke up.

"While we were out in that dungeon a…a Beedrill tried to attack me but Zero got in front of me and took the hit." Furno paused, his throat suddenly dry. "He…he died from it."

Kuren inhaled sharply while Stella's eyes narrowed minutely, muttering under her breath. Despite not looking at him, Furno could feel Stride's hard gaze, most likely not happy that he had revealed what had occurred, but Furno didn't care.

"That would explain things," Stella finally said after what felt like hours of silence. She then sighed and sat down on her haunches, rubbing her paw across the red gem on her forehead as if it were paining her. "This kind of thing is why I disapprove of children being allowed to join the resistance."

"What do you mean?" Furno asked worriedly. "I thought Zero was going to be okay!"

"Physically speaking, he will be," Stella said. "His mental state, however, is in a much more delicate state. He has experienced a great trauma and it will have its effects, all of them negative."

Furno immediately recalled Weiss mentioning something similar the previous night and he was kicking himself for not listening to her. He gave his unconscious friend a pained look, worry eating at him. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt begin to blossom inside him, knowing that he was partially responsible for his friend's condition.

"But he can still train and go out on missions, right?" Furno felt his body tense at Stride's question. All at once, anger coursed through him. He opened his mouth to say something, but Dr. Kuren beat him to the punch.

"Are you kidding me, Stride?!" the doctor shouted, eyes blazing with righteous fury. " _That's_ what you ask? After learning that this _child_ has PTSD, you ask if he can keep going out on missions?! You've seen what it can do to a Pokémon. If anything, he shouldn't be allowed to go back out in the field."

"He has an obligation as a member of the resistance to take part in—" Stride began only for the Spinda to cut him off.

"Don't give me that crap. I've personally signed the forms to pull over a dozen resistance members off of active duty."

"Are you going to do that to Zero?" Furno asked, his previous anger being replaced by fear. He and Zero started Team Dawn Breaker. If Zero left the team…

Kuren gave a Furno a pitying look. "I should…"

"No!" Stride suddenly exclaimed. "You can't do that! He needs to continue to train!"

"Why is it so important for him to train?" Kuren asked, suddenly suspicious. "There are hundreds of members in this division alone, so why is it so important for him to be a part of this?"

Stride stubbornly clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth in an effort to not explode at the normal type. "He leads a team," Stride said, struggling to remain calm. "He needs to be active in order to lead them."

"So, leading a team is more important than his own health?" Kuren growled.

Stride barely repressed his own growl as he glared at the doctor. He opened his mouth to retort, but was stopped when a low groan came from the bed below them. They all looked down in time to see the Riolu beginning to stir.

"Zero?" Furno spoke tentatively.

The Riolu groaned again, his eyes shifting rapidly behind closed lids. Slowly, Zero blearily opened his eyes. "Furno?" he asked, sounding slurred.

"I'm here, Zero," Furno said, his shoulders slumping in relief. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Zero groaned, rubbing his eyes. He blearily looked around, taking note of his surroundings for the first time. "What's going on?"

"Do you remember what happened?" Kuren asked, speaking slowly.

Zero blinked up at the Spinda, a frown crossing his features. "I…I think I was sparring with Stride then…" He shuddered and a look of fear flickered behind his eyes. "I thought…the Beedrill…"

Furno quickly grabbed the Riolu's paw and squeezed it reassuringly. Almost immediately, the former human began to calm down. "Thank you, Furno," he said, his voice hardly above a whisper.

Furno hummed reassuringly, squeezing Zero's paw again, silently letting his friend know that he was there for him. A short cough, brought the duo's attention back towards the other three that were standing around the bed. Stella, who had been the one that had coughed, regarded the two younger Pokémon with something unreadable in her gaze. "I hate to interrupt, but there are things that we need to discuss."

"What things?" Zero asked wearily.

Stella sighed, giving a furtive glance towards the doctor. "What you experienced before was something called a flashback, also known as an involuntary recurrent memory," she explained. "When you were sparring with Stride, your mind sent you back to your encounter with the Beedrill and your subsequent death."

"My…death," Zero repeated, looking at his now perfectly healed chest. "But why is it effecting me? I mean, I'm alive now..."

"Yes, but it was still a traumatic experience," Kuren answered. "Think of it this way; if a child gets burned by fire, it is likely that they will develop a fear of fire."

"So, I've developed a fear of Beedrill?" Zero asked. "Then why did I react that way to Stride? He's a Greninja."

"You aren't so much as afraid of Beedrill as you are afraid of actual battle," Stella said. "In other words, it is the action of being lunged at that triggered such a response."

"But I was attacked after and I never fainted!" Zero argued, sitting up in the bed.

"I'm assuming that this occurred just after your encounter with the Beedrill, while you were still in the dungeon?" Stella questioned.

Zero's eyes widened, glancing at Stride. The Greninja just gave a short nod. "It's fine, the know about the dungeon. At least, to an extent."

Zero nodded in understanding before turning back to Stella. "Yes, it was while we were still in the dungeon."

"Then more likely than not, you were running on adrenaline throughout the dungeon," Stella theorized. "Now that you have returned, and your body and mind got the opportunity to rest, the effects of the event are starting to become noticeable."

"So…what? I'll freeze up every time a Pokémon tries to attack me?" Zero asked.

Stella remained silent for several seconds, her lavender eyes boring into the Riolu. "…there is a possibility for that, yes."

"But…" Zero was at a loss for words, the possibility that he would no longer be able to fight rubbed at him like sandpaper. "How can I go on missions if I can't fight?"

"You can't," Kuren stated bluntly. "That's why I'm taking you off of active duty."

"What?!" Zero exclaimed, letting go of Furno's hand. He made to get out of bed, but Furno held him down. "Y-You can't do that!"

"I can and I will," Kuren said coolly. "As the division's lead medical advisor, I hold the power to clear a Pokémon for missions."

"B-But…B-but," Zero spluttered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Now, this is nothing to be ashamed of," Kuren said, most thinking that the Riolu's inability to talk was due to shame. "There have been dozens of Pokémon that have experienced traumatic experiences like you and had to be pulled off of active duty. Most of them were seasoned veterans. It can happen to anyone and there's no way to prepare or defend yourself against this kind of trauma."

"That's not it!" Zero interrupted when it looked like the Spinda was going to continue. "I…need to go back out there. To do missions and help the resistance."

Kuren blinked before his spiraled eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I understand the need to feel useful in times like this, but you are still just a child. There are still countless other Pokémon in this division alone that are far stronger and more experienced than you are now. Not to hurt your feelings, but the resistance will do just fine without you."

 _But it won't,_ Zero thought, glancing at Stride who looked displeased with Kuren's decision as well.

"Don't you think you're being a little hasty?" Stride asked carefully. "We don't know for sure how much this trauma will affect him. This very well could have been an isolated incident."

"Are you questioning me decision, Stride?" Kuren asked, turning to fact the Greninja. The Spinda spoke softly, but his eyes conveyed danger. "I was under impression that _I_ was the medical professional."

"You are," Stride said quickly, "I'm just suggesting that we…play things by ear. Didn't you say that it is a _possibility_ that this sort of thing could happen again?" he asked, addressing Stella.

" _Yes_ ," Stella admitted, her face showing displeasure. "But the chances are remarkably—"

"See?" Stride interrupted triumphantly, getting an annoyed huff from the Espeon.

"I'd rather not chance it," Kuren replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "In case you've forgotten, he's a child. Resistance member or not."

"I'm aware of that," Stride replied.

"I don't think you are," Kuren countered, stepping closer to the ninja Pokémon. "Judging by how you dragged him off for training with hardly any rest or a medical exam is testament to that. Furno too. It was irresponsible."

Stride growled lowly, his eyes flashing with anger. His hands twitched, as if he were about to summon his blades. After a tense few minutes, his hands relaxed and he bowed his head. "I admit, it was irresponsible of me have them train so soon after returning. After that dungeon, and everything we encountered, I couldn't bare the thought of leaving them unprepared. I want nothing more than for them to be strong so that they can survive in this world."

The spot panda Pokémon regarded the Greninja critically. "Be that as it may, you should know that, as children, neither Zero or Furno's limits are your own. You can't push them like the way you are, you'll only hurt them."

Stride grit his teeth, but nodded all the same. Kuren held Stride's gaze before looking over to Zero and Furno, taking note of the former's pleading looks. With a resigned sigh and several whispered mutters. "I'm going to regret this…fine," he said.

"Fine?" Zero asked.

"I won't take you off of active duty," Kuren said, clearly displeased. "However!" he exclaimed, seeing Zero about to cheer. "I'm giving you _tentative_ clearance. Meaning that, if you relapse, or I feel that you condition is at risk of getting worse, I reserve the right to pull you out. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Zero agreed amiably, relief flooding through him.

"You will also not take part of any strenuous activity for the rest of the week. Both of you." While the Spinda looked at both Zero and Furno as he said this, he cast a meaningful glance towards Stride.

"Understood," Zero said while Furno grunted in affirmation.

"You both will also be meeting with a counselor on a weekly basis starting tomorrow."

This gave both young resistance members pause. "A counselor?" Zero questioned.

"Someone to talk to and discuss the events that transpired within the Temple of Memoria," Kuren explained. "I will tell you now, whoever is chosen for you two will not disclose anything you say to them unless they feel that you are a danger to yourselves."

"A danger to ourselves?" Zero asked, swallowing thickly. He didn't like the Spinda's insinuation.

"Wait, why do I have to go to this therapist?" Furno asked. "I'm not-" He cut himself and sent an apologetic look towards Zero. Said Riolu smiled understandingly.

"It's fine," he said. "I know I'm…broken."

"You're not broken," Kuren immediately scolded. "You have experienced something that no child has. That doesn't make you broken."

Zero sheepishly ducked his head under the doctor's intense gaze. Confident that his words had got through to the Riolu, Kuren turned to Furno. "As to why you will also have to attend, you witnessed the death of your friend. While you are not going through the same trauma as Zero, there is no doubt that there will be lasting effects."

Furno grumbled, but he made no move to argue. Seeing this, Kuren nodded. "Good. Now, you'll be off of missions for at least another week. In that time, you will not participate in any training or strenuous activity. You two will be _resting_ ," he said, stressing each word. "Is that clear."

"Yes, sir," Zero and Furno chorused, admittedly intimidated by the Spinda's ferocity.

"Good," Kuren said. "I will work out who you will be meeting for counseling, hopefully by the end of the week. Now, off with you two."

"You're not going to make me stay here?" Zero asked, confused.

"Do you want me to?" the Spinda asked, a dangerous glint in his swirled eye.

"No!" Zero yelped, scrambling to get out of the bed. He stumbled slightly, but Furno managed to catch him before he could fall. Together, with Zero leaning lightly on Furno, the duo made their way out of the clinic as fast as they could.

Kuren chuckled at the duo's antics. He turned to Stella and gave the Espeon a grateful smile. "Thank you for your help, Stella."

"You are quite welcome, doctor. I was more than happy to assist you," Stella said with a bow. "If you ever need anything, feel free to call on me."

"I may just take you up on that offer," Kuren said with an easygoing smile.

Stella responded with a smirk of her own before she too left the clinic. Now, with only Kuren and Stride in the immediate vicinity, the atmosphere became tense. "I expect you to get some rest too, Stride," Kuren said after a minute of silence. "Arceus knows you need it."

"Right," Stride said dismissively. He made to leave as well before Kuren spoke again.

"I mean it, Stride. Rest. And that goes for Zero and Furno too. I don't know what's going through your head, but you can't push them like you're doing."

Stride paused, his back facing the Spinda. For a second, the spot panda Pokémon thought Stride would argue, but all he did was stiffly nod. Without another word, the ninja Pokémon left.

Once he was gone, the doctor sighed again. He teetered over to a chair, the clipboard holding Zero's test results in his paws, and sat down heavily. His eyes roamed over the papers, but he wasn't focusing on them, instead contemplating why Stride was so adamant about keeping Zero on active duty.

 **Author's Notes:**

Yeah, this chapter's a little shorter than usual. I know what I want to get through next, but it would make this chapter way too long if I were to include it. Also, I would like to apologize for the month-long gap between this chapter and the last. With my current job, the only time I really get to write is after 11 at night and it's sometimes hard to stay awake long enough to make quality content. I'll try to be more frequent with my updates, but please bear with me. Once again, thank you all for your support and feel free to leave a review.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Back in the Field

Things after…the incident went slowly to say the least. The rest of Team Dawn Breaker took the news rather well (even though Weiss gave a look that clearly said "I told you so"). They were all accepting of Zero's current condition and supportive. They had initially volunteered to stay with both Zero and Furno while they were on 'vacation', but Zero didn't want the team to be stagnant. There were still plenty of Pokémon that needed help and neither Zero and Furno wanted them to suffer by selfishly keeping their team members with them.

Speaking of the team, Zero made the decision to elect Weiss as his third in command after Furno. Out of everyone in Team Dawn Breaker, Weiss was the most level-headed and, despite her arrogance and pride, Zero felt that she was the best choice. His decision, of course, left Quill more than a little annoyed and Weiss more than a little smug. Thankfully, the spiky armor Pokémon accepted Zero's decision and didn't argue and Weiss, after a lengthy discussion, agreed to tone down her overbearing tendencies while she was in charge.

The others seemed to be accepting of Zero's decision as well, though Zero really couldn't tell what Bella thought. Regardless, with a temporary leader in place, Team Dawn Breaker continued to take missions and, at least according to Weiss, things were going rather well with the red Absol in charge. However, because the rest of Team Dawn Breaker was out doing missions, Zero and Furno were left alone.

For the most part, Zero and Furno stayed in their rooms, only occasionally venturing out to into the division. There wasn't much to actually do that wasn't training, the Latios Division was a militaristic operation after all. The most they could do was read random books that they managed to scrounge up or play cards. It was rather boring, especially for two fighting types whose blood practically screamed for battle or any form of physical activity. Doing nothing other than sitting around was practically torture for the duo, but they dared not disobey Dr. Kuren's instructions.

When they did go out, they were forced to stay away from the training center, mostly because Dr. Kuren had told Monty to kick them out if he saw them in his facility. Instead, the duo spent most of their time out of their rooms in the mess hall, chatting with other members and catching up with their friends. It helped with the boredom, but as was the case with their team, Ducky and the others weren't always there so the duo mainly just watched the other teams interact.

When they were there, the rest of the team tried to help alleviate some of the boredom when they weren't taking missions, and, to an extent, it worked, though a certain water-ground type made things slightly unbearable.

Bogran, proving himself to as excitable, if not more so, as Quill had been when he joining the team, went out of his way to make sure that Zero and Furno were 'taking it easy' and acted much like Zero imagined a butler would, constantly asking if they needed anything and going out of his way to cater to them. It was a little endearing at first, but it got old fairly quickly, especially for Zero.

While the mud fish went out of his way for both Zero and Furno, he seemed to focus his efforts on the Riolu due to his 'condition'. He opened doors for the Riolu, got him food, he even once offered to carry the emanation Pokémon so that he didn't 'overexert' himself. Zero soon grew tired of being treated like he was made of glass and told Bogran such. The Marshtomp had appeared slightly disheartened by this but seemed to get over it rather quickly, instead choosing to focus on the missions the team took.

Blessedly, the week came to an end and both Zero and Furno were itching to get back out in the field.

Which is how the young team found themselves on the road.

"Finally!" Furno sighed in relief. "This felt like the longest week ever!"

"I agree with you there, Furno," Zero said, chuckling lightly as a glimmer of his friend's old personality make itself known. "It'll feel good to finally get to do something other than sit around."

"Are you sure that you two are ready?" Weiss asked worriedly. "It's only been a week. Maybe you should take a little more time to recover…"

"No way!" Furno said immediately. "I've been cooped up for way too long! If I stay here for another minute, I'll explode!"

"I highly doubt that," Weiss deadpanned. She then sighed tiredly. "Well…if you're sure…"

"We are!" Furno replied, Zero nodding in agreement.

"Fighting types," Weiss sighed, more than a little exasperated over the duo's enthusiasm. Then again, they weren't the only ones that were excited over the coming mission.

"Oooo! This is so exciting!" Bogran cheered, practically vibrating with anticipation. "I'm actually going on a mission with Zero and Furno! So cool!"

Zero quirked a brow at the Marshtomp in bemusement. _He's acting like Quill did when we he went with us and Stride to Lush Forest. What exactly has he been told about us…?_

"While I typically trust your judgement, Zero, are you quite sure that you are able to participate in this mission?" Dusty questioned, making sure to keep his voice low so that only Zero could hear him.

Zero smiled kindly at the shorter Pokémon. "Don't worry, Dusty. I'll be fine. Besides, I've got all of you guys to support me if I get overwhelmed."

"Damn straight!" Quill exclaimed, slinging a large arm around Zero's shoulder and tugging the Riolu towards him. "We've always got your back, Zero."

Zero couldn't help but to smile at the Quilladin. "Thank you, Quill," he said gratefully. Despite his carefree demeanor, Zero could sense the weight behind his words. It was moments like these where the former human realized just how mature Quill really was. He may joke around a lot, but he had a good head on his shoulders. He was definitely someone that Zero could rely on.

"By the way, what's this mission we're going on anyway?" Quill asked.

Had the grass-fighting type not been holding, Zero was sure that he would have face planted right there and then. _I guess some things won't ever change…_

"I can feel my brain cells dying just being around you lot," Weiss grumbled. "We're doing an escort mission to Spooky Forest."

"Spooky Forest?" Quill asked. "That sounds familiar…"

"Probably because I told you about it this morning!" Weiss snapped.

"Spooky Forest is a mystery dungeon that used to be a graveyard," Dusty explained. "As such, the dungeon is made up primarily of ghost types." He gave Zero a meaningful look. "This dungeon will be especially difficult for you, Zero as ghost types are immune to both normal and fighting type moves."

"Like I said, don't worry," Zero reassured. "I've encountered ghost types before. I know how to deal with them."

Dusty nodded, seemingly accepting Zero's words, but the Riolu could still feel a level of uncertainty in the Sandshrew.

"You're worrying over nothing, Dusty," Furno drawled. "Do I have to remind you that we fought against _four_ Legends?"

"Careful, Furno," Weiss warned. "Overconfidence is known to topple even the strongest of Pokémon."

Furno merely grunted in response, not even looking at the red disaster Pokémon. Said Pokémon gave a sharp "tsk" in disapproval. Zero couldn't help but frown at his first friend. During their time stuck in the Latios Division, the Riolu saw more and more of his friend's shift in personality. He was much more brash and outspoken than before and was quicker to anger. He also was more confident, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but, in cases like this one, made him seem more arrogant than anything.

Zero sighed mentally, giving his friend one last forlorn glance before returning his attention back to the road. He hoped that Furno would go back to his old self soon. Little did he know, Furno had turned just in time to see Zero's expression. A deep frown working across his face.

-Resistance-

The first though that went through Zero's mind when they reached their destination was how the dungeon lived up to its name. They hadn't even entered but they could still see the twisted and gnarled trees, their branches almost resembling hands that were reaching towards Team Dawn Breaker. An old stone path way leading into the ominous looking forest was the only indication that this area had once been colonized, but nature had long since reclaimed the area, most likely due to whatever magic that turned the place into a mystery dungeon.

"This place gives me the creeps," Bogran simpered, eyeing the forest nervously.

"Well, it _is_ inhabited by ghost types," Quill pointed out. "What exactly did you expect-OW! Hey!"

Holding his head, Quill whirled around to shout at whoever hit him, only to blanch when he saw the unamused expression on Bella's face.

"O-Oh! Uh…no offence, Bella. It's just that…ghost types are…Well, even you can't deny…" Quill stumbled through his words, not even making a coherent sentence. Each of his attempts adding to the annoyance building within the marionette Pokémon.

"You should probably quit while you're behind, Quill," Bogran not so subtly whispered.

"Shut up!" Quill hissed in annoyance, his face flushed in embarrassment. "Wh-Where's this client anyway?" he asked, seeking to change the subject as quickly as possible. "Shouldn't they already be here?"

"I'm here…"

The group, slightly startled, turned towards the soft voice and saw an Eevee walking towards them. Her fur was rather disheveled with a few leaves sticking here and there. A small red pouch hung around her neck. The evolution Pokémon, a female judging by their voice, looked at the seven Pokémon warily. "A-Are you the group from the Resistance?"

"We are," Zero confirmed. "We're Team Dawn Breaker and we're here to help you."

"Oh, thank Arceus!" the Eevee said, relief clear in her stance. Tears began to creep into the edges of her eyes. "You have to help me! A Haunter from my town stole my fire stone and fled into the forest. Please! Help me get it back!"

"Wait, they ran _into_ the dungeon?!" Weiss asked incredulously. "Don't they know how dangerous that is?! Forget about the Pokémon there, if they stay in there too long, they could lose their mind and become stuck there forever!" She gave the Eevee a sharp look. "How long ago did they enter?"

"A-About three days ago!" the Eevee yelped, cowering slightly under Weiss' intense gaze. "I-I waited out here for her. I was hoping to catch her as she exited and get my stone back, but she hasn't come out yet."

"Then we need to get to them as soon as possible," Zero said. "Not just to get your item back, but also to get them out of the dungeon before they turn into a dungeon Pokémon."

"So, this mission has become both a retrieval mission and a rescue mission?" Bogran asked, not even trying to hide is excitement.

"It would appear so," Dusty said.

"Now hold on a second!" Quill interrupted. "There's still a possibility that this Haunter managed to escape the dungeon." He turned to the Eevee. "Does this dungeon lead anywhere besides here um…"

"My name's Maggie," the Eevee responded, "and no, the only way to enter the dungeon is through this single entrance."

"Oh…never mind then," Quill said, a sheepish blush crossing his face.

"If you had been paying attention to my briefing earlier, you would have known that!" Weiss chastised.

"Let's just focus on the mission," Zero cut in, giving both o his teammates a stern glance before turning to Maggie. "Are you sure you want to go with us? You can wait out here if you'd like."

"No!" the Eevee responded immediately. "I…I want to go with you! I have to be…stronger…"

Zero frowned lightly at the Eevee's declaration but didn't comment on it. "If you're sure…"

"I requested an _escort_ mission for a reason," Maggie said, suddenly glaring.

"Okay, okay," Zero said, holding his hands up in surrender. He glanced at the rest of his team. "Let's go then."

-Resistance-

 **Spooky Forest F1**

The second the group of eight stepped into the dungeon, they were met with a ball of black and purple energy racing towards them. Maggie shrieked in terror and curled up, bracing herself for the attack. Lucky for Maggie, the members of Team Dawn Breaker weren't caught off guard like her.

No sooner had the group seen the attack, Weiss dashed forward, her crescent shaped horn glowing with a dark purple light, extending into a blade. The Absol's Night Slash met the Shadow Ball and cut through it with ease, causing the ghostly energy to dissipate harmlessly.

A shrill cry of outrage rang out, drawing the group's attention towards an irate looking Shuppet. Before the ghost Pokémon could attack again, Bella erupted out of the dungeon Pokémon's shadow and slapping it across the face, showing no hesitance over attacking her pre-evolution.

The puppet Pokémon gave a cry of pain as it crashed into the ground with a loud thud. It tried to get up, but was crushed under Furno as the playful Pokémon smashed into it with a Flame Wheel. It didn't get back up.

"That was rather anticlimactic," Bogran whined over not getting the chance to attack.

"It wasn't very strong," Weiss said, glancing at the heavily charred ghost type. "There will be much stronger Pokémon about as we continue."

"Awesome!" Bogran said eagerly.

Weiss rolled her eyes, deciding not to point out that they were on a mission, not a leisurely stroll, and turned to a gaping Maggie. "Why did you flinch like that?" she asked.

"H-Huh?" Maggie asked, snapping out of her stupor.

"You flinched at the Shadow Ball," Weiss said, speaking slowly. "Why?"

"Because it was an attack heading straight for me," Maggie said as if it were the most obvious thing."

"But you're a normal type. It wouldn't have hurt you," Weiss pointed out.

"…oh," Maggie said after several seconds of silence, a noticeable blush begging to creep over her cheeks.

"Lighten up, Weiss," Quill said. "Not every Pokémon has been trained to fight. She probably just didn't know."

Maggie's ears drooped and she hung her head in shame. Seeing this, Weiss sighed and turned away from the small normal type, instead looking to Zero. "We should keep moving. We'll have to search every floor in its entirety to find this Haunter."

"Right," Zero agreed before leading the group down the closest corridor of dark and twisted trees.

They had only been walking for a few minutes before Zero detected a rather large amount of fear and wariness coming from their client. Looking behind him, Zero saw the Eevee glancing back and forth between the two rows of forest. Her face, despite it being pulled into a determined mask, held a certain level of anxiety, as if she expected Pokémon to slip between the too small gaps between the trees, which wasn't out of the question considering the dungeon was full of ghost types.

Zero began to regret allowing the Eevee to come along. As Quill had pointed out, she was clearly underexperienced and had most likely never seen battle. Even in a dungeon where most things couldn't hurt her, the experience must have been nerve-racking. Just like it had been for him during his first trip through a dungeon…

Giving a tired sigh, Zero decided it would be best to at least try and keep the Eevee's mind focused on something other than fear. "So, Maggie, tell us about this Haunter?"

Maggie, startled from being suddenly addressed, blinked owlishly at the Riolu. "Huh?"

"This, Haunter, who exactly are they? Why did they steal your fire stone?" Zero asked.

"Oh…" Maggie looked down, her ears suddenly drooping slightly. "Well…her name's Achlys and we grew up in the same town, Berriel."

"Oh, I've been there!" Bogran said, jumping into the conversation. "They have a lot of berry fields there!"

"Yeah, it's our main export," Maggie explained. "A good majority of the berries that are sold across Lyore actually come from out fields."

"Seriously?" Furno asked in shock. "I'm surprised the emperor hasn't attempted to take it over."

"He's tried," Maggie admitted, appearing even more crestfallen.

Sensing that they were encroaching upon dangerous territory, Zero quickly steered the conversation in another direction. "So, Achlys…?"

"Oh, right! Well, there's honestly not much to say about her," Maggie said. "She just appeared one day around eight years ago. She had no friends or family, just her name. Our village chief took pity on her and allowed her to stay."

"That doesn't explain why she stole your fire stone," Furno said.

"I was getting to that," Maggie replied. "The thing you have to know about Achlys is that, as a ghost type, she wasn't exactly…treated like everyone else." She glanced at Bella. "As I'm sure you know, many people feel…uncomfortable around ghost types."

Bella gave a low grumble and crossed her arms, choosing to keep her attention directed towards their surrounding so they weren't caught off guard. Zero gave the ghost type a sympathetic glance. While he wasn't as well informed about the interactions between different types outside of the Resistance, but even he knew about the stereotypes surrounding ghost types.

Many saw ghost types as actual ghosts, as in the spirits of dead Pokémon. While there is no explanation how the ghost types actually came to being, the fact that they breathed, ate, had children, and could perish like other types disproved this belief. However, that did not stop the rumors and speculation about how ghost types were souls of the damned, sent by Giratina to drag others back to hell with them. As such, many were wary if not completely terrified of ghost types.

Even in the Resistance, a place where most Pokémon cared very little about who you were or where you came from as long as you helped them fight, ghost types were still held at arm's length, afraid that the rumors may be true. Zero could only imagine what a ghost type outside of the Resistance went through.

As Zero thought about this, Maggie continued speaking. "Because of this, Achlys was ostracized and ignored by most of the village. She began resorting to pranks in order to gain attention, even if it was negative. Her pranks were nothing more than harmless: dropping water balloons on unsuspecting villagers, painting faces on buildings, nothing to damaging. In fact, if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say her taking my fire stone was nothing more than a prank gone wrong."

"So, she is not a criminal, just a bully," Dusty reasoned.

"She's not a bully!" Maggie immediately denied. "She, didn't target me with malicious intent. It was just a prank…probably," she added, sounding less than sure of herself. "She's not a cruel Pokémon, she's just wants to be acknowledged."

"Intent or not, her actions are those of a bully," Weiss said. "Seeking to be acknowledged is fine, but that doesn't mean she should resort to such heinous actions."

Maggie appeared like she wanted to argue, but froze when a ghastly moan came from the trees. Turning the group saw three Phantump appear out of the trees on their right. In unison, the trio of ghost-grass types raised their short arms and fired several large green seeds at the group. Acting immediately, the group jumped away, Zero making sure to grab Maggie, and the seeds slammed into the earth and detonated with a surprising amount of force.

"That wasn't a ghost type move!" Maggie yelped fearfully as Zero put her down.

"You can't expect every Pokémon to just know _one_ type of move," Weiss said, unable to keep the haughty tone from her voice.

"Less talking, more fighting!" Furno shouted as he unleashed a powerful blast of fire from his mouth. Two of the Phantump were able to avoid Furno's Flamethrower, but the third was engulfed by the attack and soon fell to the ground, heavily charred and unmoving.

"Arceus, Furno!" Quill whistled appreciatively, having felt the heat from the attack, even while standing behind the Monferno. "Give the thing a chance, huh?"

Furno just scoffed lowly, his attention on the other two Phantump, which were now eyeing Furno warily. Not wanting to give them a chance to attack, Furno shot another gout of fire at the enemy Pokémon. Unfortunately for Furno, both ghost-grass types avoided the attack before streaking towards the playful Pokémon. Before he could fully end his attack, both Phantump hit him with twin Feint Attacks. While not doing a lot of damage, Furno was knocked to the ground.

Almost immediately, Zero and Quill had lunged forward, striking the Phantump with a Shadow Claw and a Needle Arm respectively. Both stump Pokémon reeled back, the one Zero struck taking considerably more damage than the other.

With both Pokémon momentarily stunned, Bogran took the opportunity to strike, aiming an Ice Punch at the Phantump. The one Quill had hit was able to avoid the attack, but the second wasn't so lucky. Upon contact, ice instantly began creeping up the small ghost's body, encasing it in a tomb of ice in a matter of seconds.

The third Phantump floated away and prepared to attack only to be caught in the middle of a storm of poisonous needles courtesy of Dusty. As soon as the attack ended, Bella appeared out of a dark tear that appeared in the air and smacked the Phantump to the ground with a powerful Phantom Force. The Phantump didn't get back up.

Off to the side, Maggie stared at the team she had hired in awe at the team she had hired. Seeing the team defeat the three dungeon Pokémon with ease, caused a seed of envy to blossom up inside her. They were everything she wanted to be: strong, confident, capable. It was both inspiring and painful to watch.

The young evolution Pokémon's thoughts came to a crashing halt as a sudden chill ran up her spine. Turning, she came face to face with a fourth Phantump, its arm raised to strike her. Frozen in fear, Maggie could only stare in terror as the ghostly appendage streaked towards her. Thankfully, a white blur swept across her vision and slammed into the Phantump before it could striker her.

The ghost-grass type gave a single cry of pain before it fell unconscious. With the threat dealt with, Weiss turned to the Eevee. While she didn't say anything, the look in the Absol's cerulean eyes was clear: Pathetic.

Maggie lowered her head, ears drooping and tail tucking itself between her legs. Behind her, the rest of the team began to congregate around them.

"Good work, Weiss," Zero complimented. He then turned to Maggie, concerned by her subdued appearance. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the Eevee replied in a soft voice, unwilling to look up at the Riolu.

Zero frowned, immediately sensing her shame and sadness coming from the smaller Pokémon, but they were on a deadline. "If you're sure…"

"I am," Maggie said, still not looking up.

"Okay then." Zero glanced at the team. "Let's keep going."

-Resistance-

 **Spooky Forest F8**

The group slowly made their way through the rest of the dungeon. While dealing with the ghostly inhabitants was relatively easy, as Weiss had said earlier, the team had to check the entirety of each floor they entered. Unfortunately, up until their current floor, they had seen no hide nor hair of the gas Pokémon.

"I know I was all excited to go out on a mission, but are all escort missions this monotonous?" Bogran asked as he knocked out another Gastly.

"No, normally have at least some idea of which floor to go to, or we just rush to the end," Zero answered.

"At least there aren't many other floors where she can be," Weiss said. "This dungeon only has ten floors after all."

"Is there a chance that maybe Achlys made it out while we've been in here?" Maggie asked softly. Out of all of them, the Eevee seemed the least bit injured, which wasn't surprising as she stayed away from all confrontations.

"Most likely not," Weiss denied. "If she hasn't gotten out in three days, she's probably not going to get out herself.

"Oh," Maggie responded, sounding slightly crestfallen.

"Let's just keep going," Zero suggested, eyeing the Eevee worriedly. "We still have a lot of ground to cover.

Maggie lifted her head to respond only to freeze at something she saw over the Riolu's shoulder. "Achlys?"

The rest of the team whipped around and indeed saw a Haunter moving in the opposite direct down one of the room's hallways. Before any of Team Dawn Breaker could fully react, Maggie raced past them, heading right for the Haunter.

"Maggie! Wait!" Zero shouted, only for his words to fall upon deaf ears.

"Achlys!" Maggie shouted, a relieved smile breaking out over her face.

The Haunter paused and turned around to face the Eevee. Maggie skid to a halt, her smile falling as she saw the expression on the ghost-poison type's face. Unlike the mischievous grin the Haunter normally wore, the one before her had a sick and twisted grin that screamed malintent. Its eyes burned with a wild kind of hate that shook Maggie to her core.

The Haunter gave a ghastly wail, raising its hands to strike at her, but was halted by a blast of fire and a torrent of water slamming into it. Seeing the attacks take purchase, and hearing the Pokémon's cry of pain, Maggie seemed to snap out of her fear induced shock. She turned around just in time to see Zero and Bella rush past her and slash at the Haunter, striking at the ghost with a Shadow Claw and Feint Attack respectively. With one final cry, the Haunter fell to the ground without being able to unleash a single attack.

Seeing the gas Pokémon unconscious, Maggie released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She tentatively walked over to the Haunter. "Is…Is it her?"

"No," Dusty said, coming up next to her. "This Haunter is male and they do not appear to be holding anything."

"Oh," Maggie said, sounding both disappointed and relieved at the same time. Disappointed that they still had to continue and relieved that they hadn't just brutally knocked out Achlys. She then gave a sharp yelp as someone shouted right next to her.

"What were you thinking?!" Weiss shouted angrily.

"H-Huh?" Maggie managed to splutter.

"What possessed you to run off like that?!" Weiss growled angrily. "In case you've forgotten, we. Are. In. A. Mystery. Dungeon! You can't just go off on your own!"

"I…I thought…" Maggie began only for Weiss to speak over her.

"You _didn't_ think!" Weiss snapped. "You just charged off without a single care!"

"I thought it was Achlys!" Maggie snapped, her fur bristling in indignation.

"And what if it was?!" Weiss demanded. "What if it was Achlys? What if it had been her and she attacked you?"

"She wouldn't do that!" Maggie argued.

"Oh yeah? You clearly know nothing about mystery dungeons!" Weiss said snidely.

"Weiss," Zero said warningly, but the Absol ignored him.

"Like I said before we entered this place, being in a mystery dungeon messes with your mind. You begin to forget things. Your friends, your family, everything that makes you _you_. Soon, all that remains is your basic instincts and something else. An incurable bloodlust."

With each word Weiss spoke, Maggie began to lose her nerve and began to cower under Weiss' relentless tongue lashing and intense gaze. "B-But sh-she couldn't have changed i-in such a sh-short time, r-right?" Maggie whimpered.

"It varies with every Pokémon, there's no way of telling," Weiss replied coldly. "What's more is, what if there had been another Pokémon with her?"

"I…I could have…"

"You could have what? _Handled_ _it_?" Weiss questioned snidely, causing Maggie to flinch. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you haven't joined in a single battle. In fact, you've done nothing but cower!"

"Weiss, that's enough!" Zero shouted.

Weiss whirled around, her face still contorted into an expression of anger. It looked like she was about to snap at Zero when a loud cry rang out close by.

"Please! S-Someone help me!"

Immediately, whatever argument that was about to ensue between Zero and Weiss ceased. Surprise flickered in all of their eyes before they all set off towards the shout. Moving as quickly as they could, the resistance team and their client raced towards where the cry originated from. The shouts continued, steadily becoming more panicked as they ran. Soon, the group came to a particularly large room with two individuals within.

The first Pokémon, and the closest to the group, was what appeared to be a large tree that stood on six root-like legs and two long arms. Several gaps ran up its body, revealing a shadowy body hidden underneath its bark-like covering. Two gnarled horns protruded from either side of its head with a small bush on the top of its head and around its wrists. The second figure…

"Achlys!" Maggie gasped. "That's her, I'm sure of it this time!"

The large tree like Pokémon paused having heard Maggie's shout. Slowly it turned, revealing a third, smaller gnarled horn coming out of its forehead and a single, glowing red eye. Upon seeing the group, a warbling growl echoed from its 'mouth'. Behind it, the Haunter's eyes widened in surprise.

"M-Maggie?" a slightly strained voice questioned.

Ignoring the Haunter for the time being, the Trevenant roared angrily at the newcomers and charged forward, scuttling rapidly on its spider-like legs.

In and instant, Furno stepped forward to meet the charging elder tree Pokémon. "I've got this!" he said before inhaling in preparation for a Flamethrower attack, but he didn't get the chance.

The Trevenant gave another roar and swung its arms, several glowing seeds shooting out of the bushes around its wrists. Caught off guard, Furno wasn't able to dodge and the seeds impacted against his body, sticking to him as if glued to him. Not a second later, the seeds cracked open and several vines burst forth, wrapping around Furno and binding him tightly.

"What the…GAH!" Furno's shout was cut off by a cry of pain as the vines glowed red.

"Leech Seed!" Weiss realized, running to Furno's side. "I'll get you out…"

"This…won't…stop me!" Furno grit out through the pain before shouting. The familiar glow of Furno's Bulk Up encompassed his body before, in a surprising show of strength, tore through his bindings. Ignoring the surprised expression on Weiss' face, Furno inhaled and unleashed a gout of fire at the Trevenant.

Unfortunately, however, the Trevenant proved to be a slippery opponent and was able to avoid the attack. Growling, the Trevenant charged forward, the horns on either side of its head taking on a green hue and extended. Both Weiss and Furno were able to dodge in time, causing the Trevenant's attack to pierced through the ground. Immediately, the grass around where its horns penetrated to wither and die. It raised its head and the group could see two thin trails of green energy sinking into its horns from the grass.

"That was Horn Leech," Weiss said. "If it hits you, it will absorb some of your health."

"Then I won't let it hit me!" Bogran shouted as he too joined in the battle. He opened his mouth and shout out several globs of mud at the ghost-grass type. The attack, while landing, didn't seem to do much to the Pokémon except make it angry.

Now glaring at the Marshtomp, the Trevenant roared and lunged for Bogran, its claws cloaked in ghostly energy. Bogran tried to jump away, but he was too slow for the ghost-grass type's surprisingly fast movements. The Trevenant raked its shadow encompassed claws across Bogran's body, eliciting a pained cry from the Marshtomp. It then raised its second arm to claw at Bogran again, but was stopped when Bella suddenly appeared from a dark portal and rammed into its side, causing the dungeon Pokémon to stumble away.

"You have to be more cautious than that, Bogran," Weiss chided the Marshtomp as she dashed past him, ramming the Trevenant with a Night Slash. Bogran grumbled under his breath and charged back into the fray.

As all this was happening, Maggie once more stayed far away from the conflict, staring at the battle with stunned awe. She felt a twinge of envy as she watched the young team displaying impressive strength and bravery. Once more, she wished she could be like them, capable of facing any challenge.

"Maggie." The Eevee jumped in surprise, whirling around to face Zero.

"Z-Zero?"

"I need you to get Achlys out of here," the leader of Team Dawn Breaker said.

"What?!" Maggie yelled in shock before quickly covering her mouth. Glancing behind her, she sighed in relief she saw that the Trevenant was still fighting the rest of the Resistance team. "What do you mean?" she whispered. "You want me to _go_ in there, past that… _thing_ , and sneak away with Achlys?"

"Yes," Zero answered. "It's too dangerous for her to stay close to the battle like she is. Look at her."

Maggie did so and looked past the fight and saw Achlys. Her heart leapt to his throat when she saw the gas Pokémon cowering in the far corner of the room, covering her face with her hands as if not being able to see the Trevenant would save her.

"She needs your help," Zero continued. "I know you're scared, but you can't let fear keep you from doing what's right. You want to be strong, don't you?"

Maggie whirled around, her ears erect and her eyes wide. "H-How…?"

"I felt your emotions," Zero explained. "Every time we fought, I could feel how envious you were. You wish to be strong like us, right? Well, to be strong, you have to face your fears. Only then can you find the strength to act as we do."

Maggie stared up at the Riolu before glancing at Achlys. As she did, she saw the Haunter peek out from between her fingers, their eyes locking almost instantly. Even from where she stood, Maggie could hear the Haunter's silent message: "Help me."

Mind made up, she gave a single nod before bolting into the room. She carefully maneuvered past the battle, taking care as to not draw attention to herself, and reached the Haunter. She reached out with her paw and tapped the ghost-poison type's hand to get her attention. When she had it, Maggie slowly began to lead Achlys towards another hallway away from the fight.

Zero smiled when he saw this and turned back to the Trevenant. _Now for my part_ , he thought.

His stared intently at the elder tree Pokémon with narrowed eyes. He felt his eyes began to prickle, not because of the intensity of his stare, but from the normal type energy he was sending into his eyes. When the energy has reached his peak, and the burning in his eyes was becoming intolerable, Zero's eyes flashed and twin red beams shot out from them, engulfing the Trevenant in a red spotlight.

The Trevenant gave a questioning growl, glancing at its now red body in confusion. Zero smirked at this, knowing that Foresight had taken affect. Now he was free to use his fighting type moves without fear of them having no effect. However, as Zero was about to attack, the Trevenant seemed to realize that, whatever the light was, Zero was the cause.

The ghost-grass type bellowed and charged at Zero, its claws once more engulfed in shadowy energy. Zero made to dodge when he suddenly froze. The Trevenant visage seemed to flicker, shifting from the menacing tree to an even more terrifying Beedrill. Unable to move, Zero was completely helpless before the large ghost's attack, however, before the Trevenant's attack could land, Furno seemingly appeared in front of Zero, catching the attack and stopping it cold.

Seeing his friend suddenly appear seemed to jar Zero from his stupor. "Furno?"

Said fire-fighting type grunted in response, visibly straining against the Trevenant's strength. "You good?" he gritted out, glancing at Zero from the corner of his eye.

"Y-Yeah," Zero responded, quickly regaining his composure, though not before giving the Monferno a grateful nod. Whether or not Furno saw the gesture was unclear to Zero as the playful Pokémon took the opportunity to blast the Trevenant with a point-blank Flamethrower.

The Trevenant screeched in pain, stumbling away from the Monferno. No longer gripped by fear, Zero then rushed forward, tagging the monstrous tree with a Force Palm. Still under the effect of Zero's Foresight, the fighting type move made contact, causing the Trevenant to actually fall to the ground. When that happened, it was all over.

As one, Team Dawn Breaker pounced upon the ghost-grass type, bombarding it with a myriad of attacks that the Trevenant had no chance of defending against. In less than a minute, the elder tree Pokémon was unconscious.

"That wasn't so bad," Bogran panted, brushing a few specks of dirt off of himself. "Can we do that again?"

Weiss gave a muffled sigh of exasperation. "I give up. You're impossible."

Zero snorted at the comment and shook his head. "Let's just find Maggie and Achlys before anything else happens.

-Resistance-

After recovering Maggie and Achlys, who had been holding up underneath the exposed roots of a large tree, the team used one of their escape orbs and exited the dungeon. As soon as they landed, Achlys fell to the ground, bowing before the team and profusely thanking them. She immediately returned Maggie's fire stone, with another round of apologies, before heading back to Berriel.

"So, you've got your item back," Quill stated. "Are you, you know, planning to evolve into a Flareon."

"Y-Yeah," Maggie said, though she didn't sound very sure. She stood above the yellow and red crystal, her paw hovering above it.

"…well?" Bogran prompted.

"I…" Maggie hesitated, seemingly unable to lower her paw. "I want this…I want to evolve. To become strong," she explained, more to herself than Team Dawn Breaker. "I've always been seen as weak and fragile, even to the other villagers. I've tried to prove myself, but I could never do it. So, I thought evolving would solve this problem but…"

Maggie set her paw down next to the stone, careful not to touch it. "After going through the dungeon…I just don't know…"

The team glanced at one another, unsure of what to do say to the Eevee. Eventually, Weiss stepped forward, standing next to the Eevee, looking at the evolution stone as well. "Evolution isn't always the answer to becoming strong," she began. "While it is true that a Pokémon's attributes increase when they do evolve, that doesn't necessarily make them strong. Even with all the power in the world, it's inevitably useless unless you know what to do with it. That's why a lot of Pokémon decide to wait before they allow themselves to evolve, so they have a better sense of their abilities before they change."

Weiss turned to fully face the Eevee. "As an Eevee, you have multiple possible evolutions to choose from. If you ask me, you should train as much as you can before choosing an evolution that best suits your style of fighting."

"Do you…do you really think I can do that?" Maggie asked in a soft, almost desperate voice.

"I do," Weiss confirmed, allowing a small smile make its way across her face.

Tears of gratitude began to well up in the Eevee's eyes. Without another word, she pressed her face into the Absol's flank and gave a muffled "Thank you."

Weiss froze in shock, her eyes wide. She gave the team a pleading glance, only receiving hapless stares and poorly hidden snickers in return. Eventually, Maggie pulled herself from Weiss now considerably damp fur, her eyes bloodshot.

"S-Sorry," Maggie squeaked. "I didn't mean to cry all over you like that."

"It's fine," Weiss said, though she sounded incredibly uncomfortable.

"No one's ever told me I could be strong before," Maggie confessed. "It was…overwhelming to hear someone believe in me."

"It was no problem," Weiss said, still sounding slightly tense.

"That's why I've come to this decision," Maggie continued, wiping her face. She then turned to Zero, her eyes burning with determination. "Zero…please let me join Team Dawn Breaker."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The First Therapy Session

"I can't believe that you allowed her to join the team!" Weiss hissed at Zero as they entered the Latios Division. "She has no training and has barely any experience in battle! Why on Earth would you want someone like that on your team?!"

"Because the Resistance needs all the help it can get?" Zero responded, raising one of his brows and giving the Absol a knowing smirk.

"…fair, but that's not the point," Weiss conceded, though she was far from done with the question. "While the Resistance is always looking for new members, it's still irresponsible to bring a _child_ into all this is just irresponsible!"

"You do realize that were children, right?" Furno questioned.

"…also a valid point," Weiss allowed, "but still!"

"You're not going to win this argument, Weiss. I'd just admit defeat if I were you," Quill advised.

Weiss gave the Quilladin a withering glare before turning to Zero. "My point is, bringing someone with so little experience is hazardous, not just to her, but to the team. She shouldn't be part of the team."

"She _can_ hear you, you know," Maggie spoke up for the first time, tired of being spoken about as if she wasn't there.

Weiss turned to the evolution Pokémon, a sliver of guilt sinking into her expression. "I mean no disrespect, Maggie, but even you have to admit that you're not very experienced in this sort of thing."

"I know, but that's why I want to learn!" Maggie exclaimed, a determined glint in her eye. "I don't want to be the same weak and cowardly Eevee I've been. I want to be strong!"

"Which is why she'll be joining training program," Zero added when it looked like the off colored Absol would continue. "I offered her a place on the team when she completed training, remember? By the time she joins, she'll be up to your standards." He gave Weiss a reproachful look. "We all have to start somewhere."

Weiss' shoulder's slumped slightly, her obstinate expression falling away. "I guess you're right," she sighed despondently, more than a little annoyed having lost the argument. This didn't last as her teal eyes found the young Eevee, who was taking in the base with a look of wonder, and couldn't help but soften her expression.

"This place is so big!" Maggie exclaimed, her head whipping around so fast that it was surprising she wasn't giving herself whiplash. Her attention was then taken by a rather large Rhyperior that stomped past the group. "Are all these Pokémon part of the Resistance?"

"Them and many, many more," Quill answered. "This is only just one of the divisions of the Resistance."

"This isn't even the largest of the divisions," Weiss added, her demeanor shifting to a prideful one, as if she was bragging about herself rather than the Resistance. "There are hundreds

"Really?!" Maggie gaped. "Wow! I didn't realize the Resistance was so big! It's a wonder that the emperor is still in control."

"It is easier said than done," Dusty commented. "While we have a lot of members, the emperor's soldiers still outnumber us."

"R-Really?" Maggie asked, fear beginning to creep into her voice.

"Though we are gaining ground," Quill added, quick to reassure the Eevee. "The Resistance is constantly adding new Pokémon to our ranks. It's only a matter of time before we win!"

"Oh," Maggie said, visibly sighing in relief. Her ears then perked up as she seemed to focus on something ahead of them. "Um…do you guys happen to know a Spinda by chance?"

"A Spinda?" Furno questioned.

"I mean, there's Dr. Kuren," Quill said, confusion written all over his face. "Why do you ask?"

"Because there's one over there and he's looking at us," Maggie said. "They also seem pretty angry…"

At that, all of Team Dawn Breaker turned to follow the Eevee's gaze and, lo and behold, there was Dr. Kuren and he didn't look happy. The spotted panda Pokémon stomped angrily over towards the young team (or at least as angrily as he could considering he was tottering haphazardly). He came to a stop before the team, his swirled eyes flickering with anger.

"And just where have you all been?" the doctor asked, his voice containing barely contained fury.

"Uh…we went on a mission?" Quill answered, sounding unsure.

"I'm not talking to you!" Dr. Kuren snapped, causing the grass-fighting type to give an undignified squeak. The normal type, turned his dizzying stare to Zero and Furno, both of whom paled at being put under the doctor's intense stare. "I'm talking about those two."

"U-Us?" Furno asked, gesturing to himself and Zero. "Wh-What'd we do?"

"Who cleared you to go out on missions?!" the Spinda demanded.

"Uh, you did," Zero said cautiously. "You told us to take a week off before we—"

"Just because I gave you a week to recover, that doesn't mean you can go galivanting off without me clearing you!" Dr. Kuren interrupted.

Zero and Furno, both effectively cowed, could say nothing in their defense. Dr. Kuren looked between the two of them before sighing. "I guess it can't be helped now," he sighed. "You both look fine at first glance, but I'd still like to check you over in my office. Then, you both will be talking to the Pokémon I have picked out for you two."

Maggie tilted her head in confusion. "Uh…what's going on?"

"Nothing. We just got injured on a mission a little while ago. Dr. Kuren just wants to make sure we're okay," Zero said, partially lying. Even if Maggie was going to be a member, albeit a potential one, Zero didn't feel comfortable sharing his PTSD with someone he had known for hardly a day.

Dr. Kuren glanced at the Riolu, more than likely noting his hesitance to reveal the full truth. "Yes, nothing to worry about. Just a routine follow-up."

"Okay," Maggie said, though she still looked suspicious.

"Weiss, can you take Maggie to get situated while Furno and I go with Dr. Kuren?" Zero asked.

"Sure, no problem," Weiss responded, a hint of worry in her voice. In response, Zero gave her a reassuring smile, silently telling her that he'd be fine. She appeared slightly appeased by this, but Zero could still detect some concern.

"Well, let's get going," Dr. Kuren said impatiently. "I do have other patients to take care of." Not waiting for them to follow, Dr. Kuren spun on his heal and tottered off surprisingly fast, leaving Zero and Furno to have to jog in order to catch up after giving their team a final wave.

-Resistance-

All too soon, Zero found himself sitting in front of his 'therapist'. Said Pokémon turned out to be Stella, the Espeon that had first diagnosed him. When Dr. Kuren had dropped him off, he'd expected to walk into a standard office with a large desk and a single, uncomfortable seat for him to sit in, but that wasn't the case. Instead, he entered Stella's own quarters.

The room was small, at least in comparison to those reserved for teams. It possessed the same glow stone torches, which seemed to be a commodity within the divisions, that bathed the room in a warm glow. The lounge, where Zero and Stella were currently situated, held two large, plush chairs, both dyed a bright lilac, sat across from each other with a short but long table between them. A large painting of a sunset over a lake hung over the chair across the room.

All in all, the room gave off a rather homey aura that served to soothe Zero's nervousness, if only slightly. The former human wondered if the room was designed like this on purpose, to give the Pokémon Stella was talking with a sense of calm and comfort to make them more likely to open up to the Espeon.

Speaking of the Espeon, the psychic type was writing on a notepad that was propped up in front of her on the table. She was using Psychic to grip the pen she was writing with. The soft scratches of her pen against paper filled the silence of the room along with the occasional hum from the Espeon. From the seat opposite of her, Zero tapped his foot anxiously, the calm that the room brought unable to fully wipe away his nervousness.

"So…uh…how do we…do this?" Zero asked, unable to take the silence any longer.

Stella looked up, her eyes widening as if just noticing that Zero was sitting across from her. "Oh, I apologize. I was just taking a few notes before we started." She smiled softly, shifting deeper in her chair, appearing visibly more relaxed. "As to 'how we do this', we simply talk."

"Right. Talk…" Zero muttered, his unease beginning to build.

Seemingly sensing Zero's growing unease, Stella smiled reassuringly. "How about we start with a few basic introductory questions?"

"Okay."

"Good. Now, let's see." She glanced at her notepad. "It says here that you were found in Shrouded Forest with no memory, is this correct?"

"Yes."

"And, after being found, you were brought to the Latios Division and formed a resistance team with Furno, who was the one who originally found you, to which you are the leader of?"

"Yes."

"Hmm," Stella hummed. "And what made you decide to join us here?"

"Huh?"

"What made you decide to join the Resistance," Stella clarified. "After all, you had just woken up with no memories, surely joining what is basically a terrorist group would be the furthest thing on your mind."

"It…was," Zero confessed. "To be honest, I had no idea what was going on at the time. I just kind of…accepted the offer."

"Accepted the offer," Stella repeated offhandedly, writing something in her notepad. "How was it decided that you'd be the leader?"

"Furno asked me to," Zero answered, fidgeting slightly.

"And it was also Furno that asked you to join the Resistance?"

"I mean, kind of. He mentioned how his parents were trying to force him to join the emperor's soldiers and that he hated what the emperor was doing to Lyore. When Stride brought us here, Furno was so ecstatic about helping put an end to the emperor and when he asked me…" Zero trailed off, his brows furrowing slightly. "What are you doing?"

The Espeon paused in her writing. "Hmm?"

"You're making it sound like Furno manipulated me into joining the Resistance," Zero growled.

"That is certainly not my intention," Stella said, her eyes wide. "I was merely inquiring as to what led you to our division!"

"Oh," Zero said, feeling rather flushed having gotten so defensive. "Sorry…"

"It's of no issue," Stella dismissed. "Now, back to what we were talking about…"

"Um, sorry," Zero interrupted, "but what exactly is the point to these questions?"

Once more, Stella's pen paused mid-sentence. "As I said before, these are just introductory questions. I ask in order to get a better understanding of my client."

"But why?" Zero pressed. "I mean, didn't Dr. Kuren assign you to me so that you could help me get over the… _incident_?"

Stella fully set down her pen, the glow around it fading. "Zero," she said, her voice soft yet regretful. "There is no 'getting over this' as you say. What happened to you was an incredibly traumatic event. My job is to help ease the pain it caused so that you can move past it, but you will never be fully rid of it."

Zero fiddled absentmindedly with his paws. "Okay, I get that, but shouldn't we, I don't know, talk about the incident?"

"Do you want to talk about the incident?" Stella questioned.

"…no."

"Then we don't have to right away. While it is important that we discuss what happened at some point, as this is our first session together, I wish to get a better idea of who you were _before_ you died." Zero flinched at the word 'died', but Stella pressed on. "I want to understand what about you has changed, both for the better and for the worse. That is key in helping you heal. Do you understand?"

"I guess so," Zero said, though he sounded uncertain.

"Good," Stella said with a nod. "Then let's continue."

For the next hour or so, Stella questioned Zero about random things about him. How he feels about the teams he's met, his first mission, what he did in his pastime, his favorite food, small stuff that seemed inconsequential. Eventually, Zero began to grow more comfortable in Stella's presence. He found himself enjoying their little 'chat'.

There weren't many times where he could, or rather _would_ , just sit down and talk. Much of his time was devoted to planning his team's missions and partaking in said missions and most, if not all, of his free time was taken up by training. He never really had the chance to just…relax and talk. Even this past week, when he was on bed rest, he was still planning out the missions the team would be doing and, while he did interact with Furno frequently, the fire-fighting type seemed resigned for most of it, making it more than a little awkward at times.

It was nice, so much so that, after a few minutes, Stella had stopped asking questions and simply allowed Zero to talk.

Stella listened to everything Zero said with rapt attention, only occasionally stopping to writing something in her notes. She would occasionally ask for Zero to clarify or elaborate on something, but mostly she was content to let Zero talk.

Eventually, Stella put down her pen and notepad and gave a hum. "I see, I think I have a good idea how you were when you first started, now, let's move on to how you are now."

Zero swallowed thickly, his earlier anxiety coming back with vengeance. He gave a small nod in ascent, not trusting his voice at the moment.

If Stella noticed this, she didn't comment on it. "Now, how have things changed for you since your return, aside from your flashback when sparring with Stride?"

"Well, during this last mission to Spooky Forest, I…I had another flashback," Zero said, shifting agitatedly in his seat. "It wasn't as bad as last time," he quickly added. "I just…froze momentarily."

"I see," Stella responded evenly, once more taking hold of her pen. "And anything else?"

Zero blinked, flabbergasted that the Espeon was just glossing what he just said. "Um…well…uh, wait. Did you not hear me?"

"You had another flashback," Stella said dismissively. "It is not an uncommon thing. In fact, it's to be expected. I am not ignoring the fact that it happened, I just want to know the extent of what is happening to you. Now, have you had any trouble sleeping as of late?"

"Uh, y-yeah," Zero answered, still stunned. "I mean, yes. There have been a few times I've had trouble falling asleep."

"Any nightmares?"

"None that I can remember," Zero said, frowning in thought.

"Sudden mood shifts or bouts of anxiety?"

"No."

"So just the flashbacks and trouble sleeping?"

"Well, just the one other flashback, but yeah." Zero cast the psychic type a sidelong glance. "Is that a good thing?"

"It is not necessarily good or bad," Stella commented. "While it is good to hear that you're experiencing few symptoms of PTSD, that does not mean that they may not surface as time goes on."

"But aren't these sessions supposed to stop that?" Zero asked, a twinge of desperation in his voice.

"That is the hope, yes, but there is always a chance that things will get worse before they get better," Stella explained. "Now, have you noticed yourself becoming distant with your friends and teammates?"

"Huh? Distant?" Zero repeated.

"Do you find yourself seeking to seclude yourself or experiencing instances where you just want to be alone?" Stella clarified. "Possibly moments where you don't feel like talking or interacting with other Pokémon."

Zero frowned in thought. While he certainly talked, he was never overly talkative, not like Quill or Furno when he was still a Chimchar. He liked to sit back and observe the situation before responding. That really didn't change during the week he and Furno had been back at the division.

"Think hard," Stella pressed. "Have there been times when you just want to get away or reluctant to seek others out."

"None that I can think of," Zero said.

"That's good," Stella responded with a nod. "It is imperative that you continue to interact with those closest to you. Secluding yourself will only exacerbate your condition. What you need to understand is that your team is there for you. Just like during any mission, you can rely on your team when faced with something you can't overcome on your own."

Zero nodded his head, thinking back to how Stride said something similar shortly after the team had formed. "So, keeping connected with everyone will keep me stable?"

Stella frowned minutely. "Yes, that is one way to mitigate the effects, but I don't think you are understanding that this isn't like a cold. It won't go away in a few days."

"I know. I just…" Zero trailed off, turning his gaze down to his paws. "I just need to get better."

If anything, Zero's response made Stella's frown deepen. "There's more to that response, isn't there?" Stella leaned forward in her chair, her purple eyes boring into Zero's. "You seem to be hellbent on getting back in the field, if today is anything to go off of. Why is that? Why are you so focused on doing this to yourself?"

Zero felt his mouth grow dry. He couldn't tell her that he had the Silver Soul and, therefore, held the fate of the world in his paws. There was also the fact that the Espeon would mark him as insane and forbid him from taking missions all together. No, he had to keep his reasons a secret.

"I…I want to get stronger. To protect my team…" Zero lied, wincing at how weak his reasoning sounded.

Stella's eyes narrowed, clearly not believing Zero. She opened her mouth to say something when a knock came from her door. Blinking, Stella's attention turned from Zero to her door. "Who could that be?" she muttered to herself before telling whoever was at the door to come in.

A second passed before her door opened, and, surprisingly, Stride walked in. The Greninja glanced between the Espeon and Riolu. "Am I interrupting?"

Stella's gaze hardened, a small scowl coming across her face. "Why are you here, Stride?" she demanded.

"I came to see if Zero was done with his session," Stride responded. "I wanted to bring him to the training center to—"

"How did you know I was seeing him?" Stella interrupted, her purple eyes narrowing in suspicion. "These sessions are supposed to be confidential, so how did you know he was here?"

"I'm his mentor," Stride answered, but Stella wasn't buying it.

"That doesn't answer my question," she snapped.

Zero felt himself instinctively sinking into his chair. By that point, both Pokémon were glaring at one another, neither of them were blinking. While neither Pokémon was using Intent, Zero could feel the tension building between the two. Eventually, after several eternally long minutes, Stella broke the silence.

"Zero," she said, causing the Riolu to jump slightly. "Your session is over for today. I'll meet you the same time next week. Remember what we talked about."

"Head to the training center," Stride said. "There are a few things I want to go over with you before you turn in for the night."

Stella's glare became more severe at that, but said nothing. Awkwardly, Zero slid out of his chair. Moving slowly, Zero moved across the room, making sure to give the two elder Pokémon a wide berth as he moved to the door. Casting a final glance at the two, Zero exited the room, closing the door with an audible click.

When the door closed, the duo continued to glare at one another for another minute. Eventually, Stride crossed his arms, his glare lowering into a deep scowl. "If there's something you want to say, then say it."

"What are you doing, Stride?" Stella asked, her voice soft yet demanding.

"I was checking up on my student," Stride said, his expression impassive.

"That's not what I mean and you know it!" Stella snapped, a borderline feral snarl breaking through her calm demeanor. "You're well aware what an event like the one Zero went through can do to a Pokémon, both physically and mentally, yet here you are trying to push him into an early grave."

Stride frowned minutely. "I am doing no such thing…"

"Why are you so invested in Zero?" Stella questioned, completely ignoring the Greninja. "I could understand wanting to mentor a young team, but this goes beyond that. Why are you so focused on this single Riolu?"

"I am assuring that my charges are fully capable of handling anything the world can throw at them," Stride responded, keeping his expression neutral. "The world is a dangerous place. They need to be strong enough to survive."

"What you're assuring is that Zero will die before he ever evolves into a Lucario!" Stella spat heatedly.

All at once, Stride's calm façade shattered. Pink eyes narrowed dangerously. Teeth ground against one another behind closed lips. Webbed fingers clenched and unclenched. A sudden blast of Intent caught the Espeon off guard, causing her to flinch in fright. Her eyes, which previously held anger and contempt, growing wide in fear.

Stride seemed to double in size, towering over the sleek, purple fox. "Don't you dare, ever doubt that I care for my charges," Stride said, the 'or else' heavily implied.

Stella swallowed thickly, eyes wide with fear. Air became hard to come by as it felt like an invisible noose was tightening around her throat. Lilac fur stood on end, struck by the frigid jolt of lightening that ran down her spine. Her ears were pinned back as her basic instincts screamed at her to run and hide from the predator standing before her.

After several seconds of this, her mental barriers snapped into place on pure instinct. Free of the suffocating force of the Greninja's Intent, Stella's scowl came into place, though her eyes still held a note of hesitance and trepidation.

"If that's the case, then why are you so determined to push him?" she asked. "Why put so much strain on just one child? I may not be able to read your mind, but seeing how you reacted to the discovery of Zero's PTSD, I can tell that there's something more going on here."

Stride gave the Espeon a dark look before turning away, his Intent disappearing as he did so. "You wouldn't understand," he muttered under his breath. "You _couldn't_ understand…"

Stella frowned in confusion, her anger momentarily abated. She opened her mouth to question the Greninja on what he meant, but Stride spoke up again. "How bad is he?"

The sun Pokémon's brow furrowed. "Not as bad as some might be in his situation," she said truthfully. "He shows quite a bit of strength and maturity than many twice his age. However, there is still a chance that his condition could deteriorate. It is my hope that, through counseling, he can face what has happened to him and move on."

"'Face what's happened to him…'" Stride repeated, more to himself than to Stella. His eyes gained a far away look and Stella could practically see the gears turning in his head. Before Stella could question what he was thinking, Stride spun on his heel and made for the door.

"I will leave you then. While I appreciate your concern, I am more than capable of handling _my_ student," he said, not bothering to hide the venom from his voice. "Your job is to keep Zero mentally able to perform his tasks as a member of the Resistance. Nothing more. You'd do well to remember that." The former leader of Team Surge had just put his hand on the door handle when Stella's voice stopped him.

"Tell me something, Stride. Are going to be training _both_ of your students, or just Zero?"

Stride remained where he was for a second longer, before he wrenched the door open and stepped out into the quiet hallway, leaving the door to slam shut on its own.

 **Author's Notes:**

I know, I know. Things are progressing rather slowly. I'm trying to put more focus on the characters rather than just action scenes (something I notoriously did in Stardust), but I promise things will pick up next chapter. And to those of you that are wondering when the emperor will finally come into play…

*insert evil smile here*

Soon. Very soon. Until then, thank you all for reading my story. Feel free to leave a review or message me with any questions or suggestions you may have. Happy holidays, everyone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Broken

Once more, Zero barely stifled a yawn as he listened, or at least tried to listen, to Weiss' lecture. He wasn't completely sure as to what the off colored Absol was talking about, something about ways to improve the efficiency of their missions maybe? Zero was honestly too tired to really pay much attention.

Close to a month passed and the same routine persisted for Team Dawn Breaker, or rather for _Zero_. He would go out on daily missions with his team, Get whisked away to train with Stride upon his return, and return to their rooms hardly able to keep his eyes open. Day in and day out, things continued in the manner, only changing once a week when Zero would have a meeting with Stella. While Zero was more than willing to admit that he was getting stronger under Stride's direct tutelage, but the continuous training was taking its toll.

He was almost always tired, both physically and mentally, despite the immense amount of energy he possessed as a fighting type. Between the constant missions and training with Stride, Zero never seemed to get enough rest to fully recover from his daily ordeals. While it was hard to see, dark bruises had begun to form around the Riolu's eyes, hidden by the black fur of his 'mask'. He occasionally found it hard to focus on tasks and found himself stumbling into things on more than one occasion.

He always played these occurrences off as being absent-minded or being lost in thought and he made sure no one was close enough to see just how tired he was. He didn't want his friends to worry about him or, heavens forbid, keep him from training. While Dr. Kuren had made it perfectly clear that such intense and continuous exertion can be detrimental, the Spinda didn't know the responsibility that Zero now had.

The Silver Soul was still much of an enigma that it had been before it was discovered that Zero held it. All efforts to trigger the mysterious ability were for not as not even a glimmer of the fabled power surfaced. Zero could tell Stride was getting frustrated by this, but there wasn't much they could do about it. There was no rule book to the Silver Soul, everything they did was just a guess on their part. When the Greninja's original plan proved to be hopeless, Stride focused on trying to get Zero to master his innate aura abilities, hoping that having a mastery of aura would assist in activating the Silver Soul, but training in such a way was easier said than done.

While aura sensitivity was instinctual for all Riolu, actual aura manipulation was an entirely different story. Stride had limited knowledge of how to manipulate aura outside of shifting it into different elements to perform different techniques. Manipulating aura in its purest form was a foreign concept for him. Even Monty was unable to offer much assistance in their endeavor. The Ditto even said that the only one that could really help them was a Lucario, the 'masters' of aura. However, they only knew of one Lucario in particular and they hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms.

No, instead of contacting Orion, Stride decided that the best course of action was to try and get Zero to learn how to manipulate aura on his own. Unfortunately for Zero, this came from sparring without use of any of his techniques and try (emphasis on try) to summon his own raw aura to fight with. This went as well as Zero's attempts to use the Silver Soul and, more often then not, ended with Zero being covered in bruises and scratches as he tried to fend off the relentless Greninja.

Zero frowned at the thought of his training with Stride. While he'd admit that he had become physically stronger and faster, he honestly didn't think he was getting much out their training. In the past, the Greninja had taught him battle strategies, new ways to approach combat, or even new moves. Now it was just constant battle. No variety or anything. Zero honestly didn't feel like he was getting much out of the training for the amount of time he put into it. Not to mention…

Zero sent a furtive glance towards Furno. Like him, the Monferno didn't appear to be paying much attention to the Weiss either. He sat in his chair, his head propped up by his hand, a bored scowl on his face. Zero could feel annoyance bubbling within his friend and he knew it wasn't just because of Weiss' lecture.

Since they returned to the Latios Division, Stride had devoted all of his time to Zero instead of both him and Furno, which was even more since he was suspended from any missions. On more than one occasion, Furno asked if Stride would train him, but the ninja Pokémon would always brush him aside or pass him off to Monty. Eventually, Furno stopped asking and just stared at the Greninja and Riolu in resentment and a hint of longing.

Zero had tried to explain to Furno that he didn't really have a say in his training and that Stride wanted Zero to unlock the Silver Soul, but the fire-fighting type would always rebuff him, saying that it was nothing or that he understood. Despite his words, Zero could feel the resentment within his friend growing with each passing day. Zero feared what would happen should things continue the way they were, especially now with Furno's shorter temper.

Zero let out a wistful breath. He wished things could go back to the way things used to be. When Zero and Furno would train together with Stride. When Furno was more reserved and happy-go-lucky. When he didn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Why couldn't things be more like before?

"Zero!" Weiss' voice snapped Zero out of his musings, causing the former human to jerk wildly in his seat.

"Huh? Wha-?" Zero spluttered, blinking rapidly in confusion.

The disaster Pokémon gave her leader an unimpressed look. "It would be nice if, as the team leader, you would pay attention to what your teammates are saying," she chided.

Zero blushed underneath his fur, thoroughly chastised. "Sorry, Weiss," he murmured. "I just…my thoughts were a little scattered."

"It seems like it has been for some time recently," Weiss noted, a strange look in her eye. "Is everything okay, Zero?"

"Everything's fine," Zero assured, forcing a smile on his face that he had been using for weeks.

Weiss was clearly unconvinced if the way her eyes narrowed at Zero were anything to go by. Zero thought that she would pursue the matter, but seemed to thing better of it at the last moment. Instead, she decided to move on with the conversation.

"As I was saying earlier, it may be beneficial for us to split up the team."

Zero jerked in his seat, his fatigue momentarily disappearing. "What?!" he exclaimed, red eyes blown wide with shock. "You want to—"

"Not split up like that!" Weiss hissed impatiently. "I'm not talking about _leaving_ the team. I'm talking about forming two separate groups to go out to take on two missions a day instead of one."

"Oh," Zero said weakly, finding himself blushing for the second time in less than a minute. Off to the side, Quill snickered at the Riolu. Zero cast a half-hearted glare at the Quilladin, but all he got in response was an equally half-hearted attempt from Quill to smother his laughter.

"While I agree that there are perks to this plan, there is a potential risk," Zero said, pointedly ignoring Quill. "If we go through with this plan, we'll no longer have the advantage of numbers whenever we enter a dungeon. That puts us at an especially larger risk when it comes to higher level dungeons."

"We could always come back together for the more difficult missions," Weiss countered. "Dozens of teams use this tactic in order to complete more missions and earn more rewards, Team Surge included."

Zero pursed his lips. Weiss' suggestion certainly had merit, but there was one question that it left. "But who would lead the other group?"

"Well, we already established that Furno was your second in command…" Weiss began, only for Furno to interrupt.

"Yeah, no. I have no desire to lead, thank you very much," the fire-fighting type drawled, his scowl still firmly in place.

Weiss frowned at the Monferno, but continued nonetheless. "Then I could lead the second group," she suggested. "You said that I was in charge after Furno. I could take Quill, Dusty, and Noelle seeing as Bella would undoubtedly ignore my orders and try and follow you and I'm sure Furno would prefer working with you since you've been together for so long."

Furno gave an almost unperceivable snort, his scowl intensifying minutely. No one other than Zero seemed to notice this and the Riolu found himself frowning before subconsciously activating his emotion sense. As he feared, a flash of resentment and hurt sparked in the Monferno, most definitely from Weiss mentioning how close he and Zero were, further supporting Zero's theory of tensions between Team Dawn Breaker's founding members steadily climbing to its breaking point. It would only be a matter of time before—

Zero was snapped from his depressing thoughts by Quill suddenly shouting. "Wait, who's Noelle?"

Zero's brows furrowed. He didn't recall anyone by that name either, yet Weiss had mentioned her as if she was part of the team. Why was that…?

Weiss grinned imperiously at the Quilladin as if she knew something that he didn't. "Oh, you don't recall Noelle? How sad that you would forget one of our teammates!"

"A teammate?!" Quill laughed. "You're pulling our leg! We're the only ones that are part of Team Dawn Breaker! Unless you count Maggie," he added as an afterthought.

"I don't," Weiss deadpanned before her grinned returned. "You so easily forget a teammate. How cruel."

"I do not recall anyone by that name, let alone another teammate either," Dusty said, lightly frowning at the Absol's slight condescending, if not teasing, tone. Bella hissed in agreement, her own frown stretching across her zippered mouth.

"Yeah, there's no one on this team with that name, so cut the crap and stop messing around!" Quill exclaimed triumphantly.

"I'm not messing around," Weiss insisted, her grin widening. "She wasn't able to join right away, but she's ready now. In fact, I received word that she'd arrive here later today."

"Arrive here?" Quill spluttered. "What are you—"

A sharp but tentative knock at their door interrupted the spiky armor Pokémon, causing everyone to turn to the door. Weiss immediately leapt from her reclined position on their couch, a pleased smile on her face. "Ah, speak of the Giratina," she said before padding off towards the door. A second later, the Absol returned with a second figure in tow.

"A Snorunt?" Quill gaped.

Dusty inhaled sharply, recollection flashing in his blue eyes. "Is that…"

"That's right, the Snorunt from Frigid Cavern," Weiss said, proudly reminding the team of the Snorunt she had tamed. "By the way, we owe the nursery around two thousand poké."

Zero blanched, he had forgotten how much it cost to leave a dungeon Pokémon at the nursery for rehabilitation. Thank Arceus for the rewards the got from missions.

Weiss lightly nudged the Snorunt forward, placing the much smaller Pokémon in the metaphorical spotlight. "This is Noelle," Weiss introduced. "Say 'hello'."

"H-Hello," the Snorunt squeaked shyly, discreetly trying to shuffle back towards Weiss.

Zero regarded the snow hat Pokémon critically. She was taller than he remembered, though not by much. Her perpetual shivering made her seem even more nervous than she probably way. Her ice blue eyes darted back and forth, eyeing the team with wary eyes, not uncommon coming from a typically timid species. All in all, she didn't seem like much, but Zero would reserve his judgement until after he saw her in action.

"So, she'll be joining your group?" Zero questioned, raising his gaze to meet Weiss'.

"That's right," Weiss stated. "Since she's still new and relatively weak, I'll start by taking her and the others on a lower tier mission to get her acclimated to doing missions and combat."

"Weren't you against Maggie joining the Resistance because she had no fighting experience?" Quill questioned.

"Yes, but Noelle here at least has _some_ experience in combat, even though it was as a dungeon Pokémon," Weiss countered with a hiss.

Zero hummed in thought, temporarily ignoring as Quill and Weiss began to bicker. Weighing the options, Zero could definitely see the benefits to proceeding with missions in such a manner. He did still worry if they encountered more force than they anticipated, but…

He glanced at his team, at his friends. They had been through so much together. They had each proven themselves capable of handling practically any situation. He had faith in them. He had to have faith in them. He couldn't afford not to.

He had learned that lesson and it was a bitter pill to swallow.

"Alright," Zero said finally, halting his teammates' argument. "We'll try things your way, Weiss."

"Excellent," Weiss said, clearly pleased. "In that case, I'll go grab a couple of missions…"

"Nah. I'll do it," Furno said, getting to his feet. "Besides…" He sent Zero a swift glance, "it's not like I have anything else to do."

Zero couldn't help but wince at the subtle barb. He wanted to say something, anything to mend the cracks in their bond, but no words came to him. Without so much as a backwards glance, the Monferno stalked out of the room. The others all frowned at the Monferno's words, but Zero doubted they fully understood the weight behind them.

Zero sunk lowly in his seat and rubbed his temples. When had things become so complicated?

-Resistance-

Zero, Furno, and Bella trudged (floated) along the dirt path, the sun just beginning to creep above the distant tree line. The slight whistled past them, caressing the trio with an almost biting chill, a testament to the changing seasons. Glancing at the bright sky, Zero wondered just how much the weather would change in the coming. He had only encountered cold weather twice, as far as he could remember. During the mission to Frigid Cavern and their nights in Red Sand Desert. While those two instances had been extremes, Zero hoped that the coming winter wouldn't be that bad.

Glancing behind him, Zero took a moment to take in his teammates for the day. Bella, as per usual, didn't seem to have a care in the world. Occasionally, the ghost type would catch Zero's eye and smile happily at him, chittering excitedly in her ominous voice. Furno on the other hand…

The fire-fighting type had a small scowl on his face, an expression that the fire type had much more frequently as of late. Every once in a while, his tail flame would flare restlessly and a small burst of fire would escape his mouth. Zero knew that Monty had him relearn Ember in order to fine tune the fire-fighting type's control, but the Riolu knew this wasn't practice. This was agitation.

In the end, Furno had picked out two missions for the group to pursue: a retrieval mission at a relatively low-level dungeon for Weiss and her group and an outlaw mission for the rest of them. Zero was a little skeptical about their missions, especially when he saw that the outlaw that they would be seeking was a Scizor.

From the little information Zero had on Scizor, the bug-steel types were ruthless and vicious in their attacks. Their pincers were capable of cutting through solid stone and metal with ease and they were notoriously fast. Despite their speed, Scizor were in fact slower than Scyther due to their heavily armored body. They were capable of hovering and gliding short distances, but they couldn't maintain actual flight like their pre-evolution .

Zero was hesitant to accept the mission. If they had the whole team, Zero would be more confident, but it was just the three of them: Zero, Furno, and Bella. The former human was concerned that the Scizor would be too much for the three of them, but Furno had no such reservations.

He pointed out the mission specified that the Scizor was wanted for 'petty crimes', a generally low offence that weak Pokémon typically perpetrated. Furthermore, Furno insisted that he was more than capable of dealing with the Scizor by himself if necessary, the flame on his tail sputtering wildly in conjunction to his boasting. Eventually, Zero relented and agreed to the Monferno's choice. Secretly, Zero hoped that this would appease the playful Pokémon in some manner but, judging by his current attitude, it hadn't done much.

Internally sighing, Zero turned his thoughts to the mission. Unlike the majority of the missions they took, the mission did not actually require them to enter a mystery dungeon. Instead, going off of the reports, the Scizor had robbed a particularly well-off merchant just outside of a nearby town. According to them, the Scizor fled into the nearby woods in order to escape. This was only a few days ago, so there was no way the pincer Pokémon could have gone far. Speaking of which…

Zero came to a stop just outside the wooded area. Large birch trees towered above them, casting a large shadow over all of them. A shrill cry from Bella, clued them into the ghost type's happiness over being able to enter such a shadow heavy area, most likely ecstatic over the large number of hiding places that would soon be at her disposal. Chances were, if they had not already left the woods, the Scizor would be camping out somewhere deep in the woods.

"This will be different than some of the other missions we've done," Zero said aloud. "Unlike in a dungeon, this Scizor could be literally anywhere and could easily ambush us if we aren't careful."

The Riolu turned around to face his team. "Bella, I want you to scout ahead and try to find this Scizor. As soon as you find them, come and find us. _Don't_ engage them," he stressed. Bella nodded in understanding before slinking into a nearby shadow and disappearing completely. With a relieved sigh, Zero turned to address Furno only for said Pokémon to interrupt him.

"I know, I know, stick close together and be careful, right?" Furno grunted, walking past Zero and entering the brush.

Zero stared after him for a second, a forlorn expression on his face. "…right," he muttered, too soft for Furno to hear before jogging to catch up to his friend.

Zero trailed after the irate Monferno, trying to think of something to say to his friend. As imperative as the mission was, Zero couldn't pass up the opportunity to clear the air between the two of them. The only problem was that Zero had no idea how to begin the conversation.

The former human mentally bashed his head. Why was this so difficult? They were best friends after all. It shouldn't be so difficult to just say something to him! And yet…

Furno was just so different from the happy Chimchar that Zero had first encountered several months ago. He was moody and irritable as opposed to cheerful and reserved. He had known that evolution could change a Pokémon's personality, but he had never expected the change to be so drastic. It was like he was an entirely different Pokémon and Zero didn't know just how to approach him.

"If you want to say something, then say it," Furno suddenly spoke up.

Zero jumped slightly. "H-Huh?"

Furno stopped and turned around, his dark brown eyes narrowed. His mouth curved into a scowl. "You've been staring at me the entire time we've been walking," he said. "If you've got something to say then say it!"

Zero flinched at Furno's sudden intensity. "I…just wanted to talk."

"Then talk," Furno replied tersely, crossing his arms across his chest.

Zero shifted anxiously, fighting to ignore the feeling of walking on hot coals. "Well, lately I've noticed that there has been some…tension between us."

"Uh huh," Furno responded, raising a brow.

"I just," Zero hesitated, cursing himself for sounding weak. "Ever since we got back from the Temple of Memoria, you've been different."

"Evolution tends to do that," Furno scoffed, averting his gaze.

Zero frowned lightly. "I get that, but this goes beyond just personality. I've felt your agitation and annoyance and they've been growing steadily. I just think—"

"I don't need another therapist, Zero," Furno interrupted, his voice hard and cold. "I've got issues to work out, I know! I don't need others constantly reminding me about it!"

Zero flinched again, floundering to reassure the Monferno. "N-No! It's not that!" he exclaimed frantically. "I just wanted you to know that we're all here for you," Zero said once he had calmed down. "Me, Quill, all of Team Dawn Breaker are their if you need to talk to anyone."

Furno didn't respond. Zero swore he saw a small ghost of a smile cross the Monferno's face. His eyes lightening and glimmering with tentative longing and trust. This ended abruptly as his face pulled into a sneer, a disbelieving scoff spitting out from his mouth like venom. "Yeah right," he muttered under his breath.

Zero's gaze narrowed when he heard those muttered words. "Why are you so intent on pushing us away? We're a team. We're supposed to help and rely on each other, so why won't you?"

"You mean like _you_ relied on _me_ back when Angela teleported us?" Furno questioned rhetorically, turning around to continue through the woods.

Zero barely withheld a wince at that. It was no surprise that Furno still held at least some resentment towards Zero for his behavior back then, but Zero knew there was more to Furno's anger than just that. "Is this about Stride training me?"

Furno froze as soon as the words left Zero's mouth and the Riolu knew he had reached the epicenter of Furno's anger. Slowly, almost eerily so, Furno turned back around, his expression devoid of emotion. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Furno…please don't lie to me," Zero said gently. "I don't need to read your emotions to see how much it hurts you when Stride ignores you for me. I know he's trying to figure out how to get me to use the Silver Soul, but that's no excuse. He promised to train the both of us. When we get back, I'll talk to him and—"

"Shut up."

The words died in Zero's mouth. Never before had Furno spoken to him in such a way. The anger and hatred in Furno's voice shocked Zero to his core. Never before had Furno spoken to him, or anybody for that matter, like that. He was so stunned all he could do was stand their open mouthed as Furno continued.

"I don't need your _pity_ ," Furno spat, expression twisting into a fierce glare. "It's clear that Stride only has time for the one who has _actual_ potential."

"Wha—?"

"Don't play dumb," Furno snapped. "You've got the Silver Soul after all. You're the 'most important Pokémon'," Furno mocked. "Of course Stride would only take interest in you."

"That's not—" Once more, Zero tried to interrupt, but Furno just kept going.

"Well you don't have to humor me any longer. I know where I stand now," Furno took a step forward, his evolved body towering over Zero. A scornful sneer on his face. "I'm just a stepping stone to help you fulfill your 'destiny'."

"I don't think that!" Zero immediately denied, but his words fell upon deaf ears.

"So, you just keep on training with Stride and master your _ability_ and I'll train myself. We'll work together on missions, but aside from that, we do our own thing. Sound good."

It wasn't a question. At least not one Zero could answer. His mouth opened and closed helplessly as he watched his friendship fall apart before his eyes. There was nothing to say. There was nothing he could say, and he knew it.

Furno gave a derisive snort and turned away. "Now that that's over with, let's continue with the mission."

"…right," Zero responded after a second's pause. His face sagged momentarily as regret and sadness weighed down on him before he schooled his features. Without another word, Zero walked past Furno, moving deeper into the woods. Half a second later, Zero heard Furno begin to walk after him. Neither one of them spoke another word to the other.

-Resistance-

After several minutes of walking, the duo reunited with Bella. It was difficult to ascertain if the ghost type noticed the tension between Zero and Furno, her expression never changed, but there was definitely a wariness about her. Wariness aside, she seemed to have located the Scizor and was quick to lead the duo to a clearing. Creeping along silently, the trio came upon the aforementioned clearing and, sure enough, they could see the bright red coloring of the metallic insect.

The Scizor was leaning against a tree nearby, appearing to be constantly looking around at his surroundings. Even from where he was hiding, Zero could see worry flickering in the bug-steel type's amber eyes. Clearly paranoia over being found was getting to them. Looking further, Zero could see several food items, orbs, and a scarf or two positioned directly behind the Scizor, close enough so that the Scizor would see if anyone was trying to take their ill-begotten goods.

With their target in sight, Zero had Bella stay hidden in the trees. If they had to battle, which Zero was almost an entirely sure it would, it would be advantageous to have one of them on standby to join in if things warranted a third combatant. Glancing at Furno, who was determinedly not looking back at him, Zero stepped into the clearing with Furno a step behind him.

The second the duo broke through the tree line, the Scizor's eyes were on them. They leapt to their feet, wings buzzing in agitation. "Who are you?!" the Scizor, a male Zero observed, growled angrily.

"We're Team Dawn Breaker!" Zero announced. "We're here to retrieve the items that you stole! Surrender now or we will use force!"

"Surrender?" the Scizor asked, appearing genuinely surprised. It didn't last long as anger suddenly bubbled to the surface. "Who the hell do you brats think you are?! Some kind of Resistance wannabes?!"

"Well we _are_ part of the Resistance," Furno drawled, flashing his badge at the Scizor.

The Scizor, unmoved by the visage of Furno's badge, flashed his pincers menacingly. "Do you have any idea who I am? I'm Razor, former soldier of the Emperor's army!" A sharp grin stretched across his face, his eyes flashing with malice. "See these pincers of mine? They've cut through countless Pokémon, all of whom have been stronger than you, and you'll be their next victims!"

Razor took a step forward, raising his arms threateningly. His grin now maniacal. "So, what will it be? Will you stay and give my pincers a fresh coating of red? Or will you flee with your lives. That is…if I'll let you flee." His grin became even more vicious at his little 'joke'. "The choice is yours."

Silence pervaded the clearing at the end of Razor's declaration. Neither Zero nor Furno spoke, both of their faces blank as they stared at the taller Pokémon. The Scizor continued to grin maliciously, his head tilted up ever so slightly so that he was looking down at the duo from the bridge of his nose (or where his nose should have been on his smooth face). It was clear by his arrogant demeanor that he fully believed that Zero and Furno would turn tail and run. However…

"If you're going to lie, can you at least try and make a better effort of it?" Zero spoke coldly.

Razor was taken aback. "What?"

"I'm a Riolu," Zero said bluntly. "I can tell when someone's lying to me. You've never killed anyone as you're implying. The only part of your previous statement that was true was that you used to be a soldier."

"And considering that they let practically _anyone_ join them, you must suck," Furno said just as bluntly.

"Y-You…" Razor spluttered, at a complete loss of words.

"I'll say it again," Zero spoke up again, his eyes as cold as the rubies they resembled, "surrender now or we will be forced to subdue you." Normally, Zero wouldn't speak so coldly, even to an enemy, but he was done. He wanted nothing more than to return to the Latios Division and hide himself away for the next day to come to terms with what had happened. That or talk to Stella. He wasn't sure. What he was sure was that he didn't want to deal with this Scizor any longer than he had to.

Razor stared at the duo, his previous bravado all but gone. "Y-You…I…" Had Razor not already been red, Zero was sure that his face would be burning crimson out of rage. "I'll show you!" he roared before launching himself at Zero with incredible speeds.

Zero's eyes widened, surprised by the Scizor's speed. While knowing that his opponent would be fast was one thing, physically witnessing their speed was an entirely different matter. He dove to the side just as Razor would have been upon him. His eyes narrowed as his body became tense in preparation for the Scizor's next attack, mentally cursing himself for not taking the pincer Pokémon more seriously when he mentioned that he had been a soldier.

Razor stumbled to a halt, whirling around to snarl wordlessly at the Riolu. His amber eyes burned with anger and a promise of pain as his clicked his pincers. He made to charge again but was forced to dodge a gout of flames spewed in his direction by Furno.

Having barely dodged the flames, Razor again tried to attack Zero, most likely no wanting to deal with the Pokémon that was incredibly effective against him, but this time Zero was ready. Nimbly ducking under the Scizor's pincers, Zero struck the bug-steel type in the sternum with a Force Palm. The resulting impact, and ensuing burst of energy, caused the Scizor to stumbled backwards, a small dent prevalent on his chest. Before he could fully recover, Furno crashed into him with a fierce Flame Wheel.

Screeching in pain, Razor stumbled away from burning ball of fire that was Furno. His claws flashed with metallic light as he slashed at the Monferno as the flames subsided, however his attack missed as Furno was able to quickly dash away. A second later, Zero had launched a Vacuum Wave at Razor, which the Scizor was just barely able to teeter out of the way of.

Not missing a beat, Zero lunged forward, fighting type energy coursing through his paws. Razor, still unsteady from his less than graceful attempt at dodging, had no way to dodge Zero's next attack. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest before a metallic sheen, not unlike the glow that had encompassed his pincers just moment prior, surrounded his body. Zero's Force Palm slammed into the Scizor head, but it didn't seem to do nearly as much damage as it had earlier. Not only that but Zero felt a jarring pain in his paw, as if he had just struck a metal wall.

Razor grinned, the metallic sheen fading from his body. He raised his arms, still keeping them in their crossed position, and a red glow encapsulated them. With a shrill shriek fitting of a bug type, Razor brought his pincers down upon the Riolu. At the last moment, Zero raised his own arms and caught the Scizor's arms just below where the glow was encompassing.

The two Pokémon stood there, both trying to overpower the other. With his metal body and added strength, Razor was slowly over coming fighting type's strength and began pushing Zero to the ground. With gritted teeth, Zero fought against his much stronger foe, struggling just to remain standing. Just as it looked like Razor would completely overpower Zero, electricity arced through Razor's metal body, causing him to jerk away from the Riolu. Behind him, Furno stood at his back, his hand pressed right between the Scizor's wings, electricity surrounding his hand and coursing through the Scizor's body.

Now free of his burden, Zero struck the Scizor with twin Force Palms. Furno spun out of the way, ceasing his attack as Razor was flung across the clearing. Razor landed on the ground in a heap, sparks of electricity still sparking over his body.

Panting slightly, Zero observed Razor's prone form, his mind racing. The Scizor had clearly been trained in combat, though, judging by how he stumbled as he came to a halt after mission, he seemed unused to his speed. It became clear to Zero that the Scizor must have just recently evolved considering how awkward his movements were. He clearly had the speed and power, but he couldn't fully use it. They could use this to their advantage.

Zero glanced at Furno briefly, silently telling the fire-fighting type to follow his lead. Furno nodded in understanding, his expression serious. They both turned to Razor, who was just getting to his feet, and charged the outlaw without delay.

The duo struck in tandem, attacking Razor from all sides, using their superior maneuverability and react time to dodge the worst of the Scizor's attacks. Again, and again they struck, staying close to the Scizor, giving him no time to mount any sort of offence. It was slow going as Furno was incapable of using many fire attacks at such close range for fear of hitting Zero as well and Razor continuously used Iron Defense in order to weather out their attacks. The Scizor managed to land a few hits, but they paled in comparison to the barrage the two resistance members unleashed.

In the back of his mind, Zero marveled at how effective he and Furno were together. Even after their falling out, they could still read each other so well and act without speaking. It was clear that training together for so long had elevated them to such a level…

Zero quickly squashed these thoughts, unwilling to let his guilt over the situation make him lose focus. He had a job to do.

Eventually, they managed to land a good hit and sent the Scizor crashing to the ground just in front of his stolen goods, a pained groan escaping him upon impact. "It's over, Razor!" Zero called as he watched the Scizor pull himself to his feet. The Riolu was panting slightly, the few injuries he had throbbed, but they weren't too painful.

"You brats…" Razor growled. Having finally gotten to his feet, he glared weakly at the duo.

"Told you this mission wouldn't be hard," Furno said, grinning slightly, though it quickly fell from his face when he met Zero's gaze. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered. Barely withholding a defeated sigh, Zero nodded and began walking towards the Scizor, intent on retrieving the items.

The Scizor watched the Riolu approach, anger burning in his bloodshot eyes. "You…You…" Razor gave a wordless cry of rage, smashing his pincers against the ground with enough force to crack it. Zero paused in his approach, suddenly wary. Razor looked up, a mad glint in his eye.

"You think you've won?" he growled out, staring intently at Zero. "You've won nothing!"

He reached back into his stash and removed a small, round, light blue stone with some kind of red symbol in the center. He held it almost reverently in his pincers, his grin threatening to split his face.

"What's that?" Furno called from his position further back.

"A little memento I picked up from the emperor's research department when I was kicked out of his army," Razor responded with a grin, "and the instrument of your destruction."

"How so?" Zero questioned, immediately put on edge.

"Allow me to demonstrate," Razor responded, holding up the stone. "Behold, the ability to go further than normal evolution!"

Before either Zero or Furno could question what the Scizor meant, the stone in his pincer reacted. An almost blinding red light shined brilliantly from the stone before completely encompassing the Scizor. Zero and Furno watched gobsmacked as Razor's body began to shift and warp before their very eyes. The light persisted for several seconds before dying down, revealing Razor's new form.

He was taller than before, by at least several inches. Black armor now coated the Scizor's shoulders and thighs and its legs appeared more like tapered spikes. A black three-pointed crest rested on his face, framing his now cold blue eyes. Most notably, his pincers had elongated significantly, the underside of which had become stark white with three sharp barbs on each. The various dents and scratches that had previously covered his body were nowhere in sight.

The newly changed Scizor's eyes flashed, a wild snarl on his lips. Without a single word, he lunged, his speed far surpassing what he had shown previously, his pincers primed to eviscerate Zero where he stood.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

A New Threat

Zero was just barely able to raise his arms in time to defend against the altered Scizor's attack. The resounding impact sent painful vibrations through the Riolu's bones as he was sent flying thought the air by the surprising amount of force behind the bug-steel type's attack. Zero landed on his feet with a grunt, his eyes still wide with shock at Razor's transformation.

"What the hell?" Furno gaped.

Zero didn't respond. He couldn't respond. He was too stunned to do much other than stare at the monster that was standing before them. The former human had seen evolution before, but what they were seeing was different.

The stone that Razor held before he 'evolved', Zero had never seen anything like it before. The energy it released…in the instant that it had encompassed Razor in its glow, Zero could feel the wild power it held. The same power that was now inside Razor.

Zero frowned, his gaze falling to his limbs. He clenched and unclenched his paws, trying to rid himself of the numbness in his arms. He Scizor's strength had definitely increased. Dramatically so if his first attack was anything to go off of, but the changes didn't end there.

Zero eyed their opponent carefully. Before, Razor stood almost painfully rigid, most likely the result of his apparent military training. Now, he was slouching slightly, his arms hanging limply in front of him. His enlarged pincers snapped randomly, filling the clearing with sounds of grating metal.

 _Something's not right,_ Zero thought to himself as he observed the Scizor. _The way he's standing. It's almost like he's…_

A low buzzing from the Scizor was the only warning the duo got before Razor rushed towards them, his pincers raised dangerously.

Both Zero and Furno were just able to jump out of the way as Razor's pincer impacted against the ground where they once stood, cracking the earth with the force behind it. He had moved so fast, practically teleporting in front of them. Time slowed for an instant as Razor's head raised up from the ground, meeting Zero's gaze with his own, sending an ominous shiver down the Riolu's spine.

Staring at blue, Zero saw nothing. There was no anger, no hatred, no sentience behind blue orbs. His eyes were just blank. Blue eyes just stared at him with nothing but feral aggression, the edges of his eyes bloodshot, tinged with rabid madness. It wasn't like he was staring into the eyes of another Pokémon. No, it was like staring into the eyes of a feral beast.

A rattling screech billowed out from the Scizor as he once more lunged at Zero, a metallic sheen surrounding his pincers. Zero jumped to the side, once more dodging the attack, though by a much smaller margin we as Zero noticed a few strands of his fur fall to the ground. Undeterred, Razor continued his assault, mindlessly slashing at Zero who was hard-pressed to dodge.

 _He's a lot faster now_ , Zero silently noted, gritting his teeth. His mind racing. _Despite this, his attacks are wilder than before. Less focused and aimed. It's like—_ Zero's thoughts came to a screeching halt as Razor managed to get a lucky hit.

With a swift jab to his sternum, Zero coughed violently, skidding back several meters, clutching his chest. Cursing his inattentiveness, Zero did his best to shrug off the pain. Pulling his hand away, Zero noted a splash of red on his palm. Razor's pincers had actually _stabbed_ him.

Zero pulled his gaze away from his paw and heart skipped a beat. As he looked up, Razor was already closing in on him, his pincers raised to strike. For a moment, Zero froze, involuntarily falling into his dark memories once more. The former human was spared from Razor's primal wrath, however, as the Scizor suddenly jumped back, avoiding a powerful Flamethrower from Furno.

"Snap out of it, Zero!" Furno shouted, rushing towards the Scizor, his fists crackling with electricity. "We need to fight!"

Just like that, Zero snapped back to reality. Dark thoughts retreating back to the recesses of his mind. Quickly shaking his head to rid himself of any remaining thoughts, Zero too rushed forward. Furno was right, he couldn't afford a relapse. He had to fight against their newly evolved form.

Both Zero and Furno struck at the Scizor in unison, using Force Palm and Thunder Punch respectively, but, much to their shock, Razor blocked both of their attacks with his pincers. The altered Scizor glared at the duo, a sharp, chittering growl rumbled from the back of Razor's throat as he held off the duo with apparent ease.

The steel-bug type's arms tensed before he suddenly swung his arms outward, forcing both Furno and Zero to stumble back. Before either resistance member could regain their balance, Razor had crossed his arms across his chest and repeated the action, this time a bright red energy running down his arms.

The X-Scissor attack met its mark, raking across Zero and Furno's respective chests. Both Pokémon grit their teeth in pain, preparing to initiate another attack, only for Razor to throw himself at them again.

Zero and Furno dodged in opposite directions, causing Razor's pincers to slam into the ground, sinking several inches into the hard earth. With an enraged shriek, he ripped his claws out of the ground, tearing up clumps of dirt as he did so. Wild blue eyes shifted back and forth between Zero and Furno, seemingly trying to decide who to attack. His eyes finally landed on Furno, his decision made. With a growl, Razor lunged.

With a growl, Furno spat out another plume of fire at the encroaching Scizor, only for his eyes to widen in shock as Razor dodged the attack at point blank range. Pincers engulfed by metallic energy, Razor swung wildly at the Monferno, dealing several glancing blows as Furno brought up his arms to defend while simultaneously using Bulk Up to bolster his defenses.

Zero rushed to his teammate's aid. Engulfing his paws with the ghost energy of his Shadow Claw, Zero leapt at the Scizor, his ethereal claws aimed at his unprotected back. A grating sound echoed through the clearing as Zero's attack raked against Razor's metallic body, causing sparks to burst into the air. However, instead of showing signs of pain, Razor spun around, catching both Zero's paws in between his pincers and yanked the Riolu into the air.

Zero cried out in pain as he became trapped in Razor's crushing grip, inadvertently cutting off his Shadow Claw as pain lanced through his paws. He tried to kick the Scizor, but his legs were too short to reach. Furno tried to help him only to be sent sprawling across the ground as Razor struck him across the face with a Brick Break.

The former human struggled fruitlessly in the Scizor's hold, trying desperately to break the pincer Pokémon's ever tightening grip. Razor growled lowly, wild blue eyes narrowing at his prey, his free pincer snapping ominously. Zero grit his teeth and glared defiantly at Razor, betraying the cold fear creeping through him. However, before Razor could do anything, Bella burst onto the scene.

Appearing from a misty portal, Bella exploded towards the Scizor, slamming into the Scizor with Phantom Force. Caught off guard, Razor released Zero before turning his attention to the new arrival. With an enraged shriek, he launched himself towards the marionette Pokémon, swinging his claws at Bella, who expertly avoided the wild attacks.

With Razor momentarily preoccupied, Zero took a moment to rest. Rubbing his throbbing wrists, Zero glanced at Furno as he the fire-fighting type staggered to his feet. "You okay."

"Fine," Furno grumbled, wincing slightly. His gaze found Razor, a frown creasing his brow. "What the hell was that stone and what did it do to him?"

"It caused him to evolve…" Zero commented with a small frown.

"Obviously."

"…and turn him feral," Zero continued, ignoring Furno's sarcastic remark. "The way he moves and attacks is just like a dungeon Pokémon. Whatever that stone was, it made him wild on top of giving him a power boost."

"That doesn't exactly help us in beating him," Furno pointed out.

Zero opened his mouth to retort only to be drowned out by a shrill cry. Silently cursing himself for his inattentiveness, Zero's attention snapped towards the sound in time to see Bella fall to the ground, a noticeable gash on her stomach. Zero immediately rushed to Bella's side, increasing his speed with Quick Attack when he saw Razor raising an arm to strike Bella while she was down.

With a loud cry, Zero rammed into the altered Scizor's side, grunting when his body slammed against steel body of Razor. While the Quick Attack did little damage, the following Force Palm pushed Razor back, his needle-like legs dragging across the dirt. Before Razor could mount a counter attack, Furno jumped into the fray, throwing rapid series of Mach Punches at the Scizor, the majority were avoided or blocked.

"You okay, Bella?" Zero asked, not taking his eyes off of Razor. He was more

The Banette gave a grunt in affirmation, slowly rising to her feet. Casting a quick glance towards their ghostly ally, he noted her injury. As unfamiliar as he was with ghost-type anatomy, the gash looked rather severe. The tear in her fabric-like body fluttered ominously, what looked like black mist slowly trickling out from it.

Zero wasn't sure to what extent Bella was hurt, but he unfortunately couldn't risk taking the time to ascertain her condition. "Can you still fight?"

Bella glanced at Zero, an indistinguishable look in her pink eyes. Without a word, she disappeared in a flash of purple only to reappear directly behind Razor and begin to attack the Scizor, completely ignoring her injury.

"Well that answers that," Zero commented dryly as he too jumped into the fray.

Together, the three resistance members attacked the altered Scizor relentlessly, utilizing their full range of attacks. Soon, the clearing had been transformed into a desolate wasteland littered with craters and the occasional fire. Through it all, Razor proved difficult to pin down.

The pincer Pokémon was just too fast for them to catch. Even in his feral state, Razor was capable of dodging the majority of their attacks and blocking what he couldn't. What's more was, despite it being three on one, Razor was hardly on the defensive. His attacks, while wild and uncontrolled, certainly had power to back them. That coupled with his speed, left Team Dawn Breaker reeling.

Bella had taken another brutal blow, this one in the form of a Night Slash, and had collapsed, showing no sign of getting back up. Zero too had been on the receiving end of one of the Scizor's Night Slashes as well as an X-Scissor. He was resistant to both attacks thanks to his fighting type physiology, but they had certainly done some damage. That left Furno to fight Razor.

"GRAH!" Furno cried out in frustration and pain, receiving a glancing blow from the Scizor's razor-sharp pincers. Because of the close proximity to his teammates, Furno couldn't risk using Flamethrower and he couldn't get enough distance between him and Razor in order to use Flame Wheel. Those two factors, as well as his inability to produce a small, controlled flame, Furno was limited to his other attacks.

He stepped back, trying to put some distance between him and Razor, when he tripped into one of the nearby craters. Eyes wide, Furno fell onto his back, the air forcibly leaving his lungs. Momentarily stunned, Furno was left at Razor's mercy.

As the altered Scizor raised his pincer to deliver what would most likely have been a devastating blow, in an act of sheer desperation, Zero leapt up from his prone position and lunged towards Razor, grabbing onto his arm. Caught off guard, Razor stumbled under the unexpected weight. Twisting his body, Zero planted his feet against the Scizor's thorax and pushed while simultaneously pulling Razor's arm, effectively locking the bug-steel type's arm in place.

Razor strained against the hold but was unable to overcome the fighting type's strength with only one arm. A satisfied, albeit slightly strained, smirk graced the Riolu's face as he gave a particular hard jerk on the Scizor's arm. If he could just keep Razor held in place like he was doing, maybe Furno would be able to land super effective attack against the Scizor.

That was the plan, anyway.

Zero's smirk slid of his face as an uncomfortably warm sensation came over his arms and feet. The sensation steadily grew more in intensity until it felt as if he was on fire. Unable to bear the pain any longer, Zero was forced to release his hold, falling to the ground in a heap. He looked at his paws, noting the redness underneath his fur. "He…burned me?"

Zero snapped out of his thoughts, as a dangerous growl resonated from the Scizor. Slowly looking up, the former human was met with the furious gaze of Razor. Zero gulped.

Razor shrieked, raising his arms, bug type energy circulating around his pincers, extending into thin blades. Zero just barely rolled out of the way as the blades carved through the ground with ease. Turning, Razor made to pursue Zero, only to be struck by Furno. Striking the Scizor for the first time since he 'evolved', Furno didn't even attempt to hide the smug look on his face as his Flame Wheel made contact.

Razor fell to the ground, shrieking in pain as the lingering flames licked across his metal body. Furno grinned savagely, moving to press his advantage while he still could. Meanwhile, Zero was looking at the Scizor with a critical eye.

Now that he was no longer in the midst of combat, Zero could make out the strange undulation of the air around the Scizor's body. Warping and twisting as if the Scizor's body was giving off a tremendous heat. Frowning, Zero racked his brain for any and all information pertaining to Scizor, trying to understand why a bug type was giving off so much heat.

Then it hit him.

A hazy memory of a past training session with Monty came to his mind. He recalled that, due to its steel body, Scizor couldn't actually fly more than a few inches off the ground. In actuality, their wings were primarily used as temperature regulation due to little air being able to actually enter their metal exoskeleton. Because of this, Scizor couldn't fight for long periods of time or they could overheat.

This new evolution had to be exasperating the overheating process. That had to be the reason! If they could get Razor to overheat…

"Furno!" Zero shouted to his friend. "Keep using Flamethrower!"

"What?!" Furno shouted, momentarily turning his attention from Razor. "I'd just be wasting energy! He dodges practically everything I throw at him!"

"It doesn't matter!" Zero shouted, racing towards the duo. "Just keep using fire! It's like with Registeel!"

As he ran, Zero, ignoring the confused look his teammate was sending him, reached into their pack and pulled out a large, red seed from his pack that he then preceded to hurl towards the Scizor. As expected, Razor dodged the seed, tilting his body to the side so the seed arced past him. However, the second the seed impacted against the ground, its shell shattered and a ball of flame erupted forth.

Unprepared for the sudden explosion, Razor was engulfed by the small explosion, bursting from the smoke a second later, a shrill cry on the tip of his tongue. From the odd combination of combustible gases clearly had done their work, leaving several soot smudges and burns on the Scizor's body. Immediately, Furno shot a blast of fire towards the altered Scizor, catching Razor's left arm and shoulder with his attack.

A deafening shriek filled the air as flames once more engulfed Razor's metal body. As Zero suspected, the flames from both his blast seed and Furno's attack had served to increase the amount of heat he was giving off. Even from where Zero stood a few meters back, he could feel the heat coming off of Razor's body. Steam visibly curled off of his body as he stumbled, appearing visibly disoriented. His wings fluttering frantically.

"Keep it up!" Zero shouted, reaching into their bag and pulling out another blast seed. Before Zero could throw the seed, however, Razor's wild eyes met his. Beneath the cloud of feral ferocity, a glimmer of understanding flashed in the Scizor's eyes, seemingly understanding what Zero's plan was. With a loud cry, Razor rushed towards Zero, dodging Furno as he tried to attack him.

Biting back a curse, Zero leapt back, just barely avoiding the attack. Undeterred, Razor pursued the Riolu, swinging his pincers wildly in his attempt to maim the young fighting type. Thankfully, it appeared that Razor, due to his steadily increasing temperature, was moving much slower than previously, allowing Zero to avoid the majority of his attacks, but was unable to get away. Furno had tried to intervene, but Razor had spun around and knocked him to the ground before continuing to attack Zero.

Unable to get away, Zero desperately put the blast seed in his own mouth and bit down. The second the gases stored in the seed met Zero's tongue, he opened his mouth and blew, releasing a small gout of fire comparable to a low powered Flamethrower. The flames spewed across the Scizor, momentarily remaining on the Scizor's body. As the ex-soldier screamed, Zero jumped back, pointedly ignoring the slight burn on his tongue.

Furno, having recovered, crashed into Razor from above with a Flame Wheel, momentarily crushing Razor with his own weight and a substantial amount of fire. Razor shrieked in pain as Furno dug painfully into his back, pressing the Scizor further into the ground while completely engulfing his body. After several seconds, Furno jumped off of the Scizor, the flames dissipating as he did so, leaving Razor smoldering in a small crater.

Slowly, the Scizor rose to his feet, his entire body glowing from access heat. His wings buzzed faster than they had been as they struggled to cool the Scizor down. Razor's bloodshot eyes found the duo, burning with nothing but hatred.

"You can't keep this up, Razor!" Zero called, hoping to reach the Scizor through his apparent feral mind. "Just give up before you kill yourself!"

Zero's pleas fell upon deaf ears as Razor raised his arms towards the duo, his pincers opening ominously. The duo paled as they saw the telltale build up of purplish energy between the jaws of Razor's pincers. The purple glow of Razor's Hyper Beam dwarfed that of his own body as the twin orbs of energy began to grow in power. With a loud shriek, Razor thrust his arms forward to unleash the attack only to come to a screeching halt as a large ball of purplish-blue fire impacted against his chest.

Razor shrieked in absolute agony, the energy of his Hyper Beam dispersing in a harmless flash. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain as the odd flame stubbornly held onto his body. As this happened, both Zero and Furno turned around to where the sudden attack had come from and saw Bella shakily standing, her hand still outstretched from when she had unleashed her Will-O-Wisp.

Back with Razor, the Scizor gave one final cry before going still, the purple flames still persisting. The trio of resistance members stared at the smoldering form of Razor, none of the able to move. The shock that the Scizor had finally collapsed having not entirely passed. A second later, his body flashed bright red before fading, leaving Razor in his original form, the small blue stone falling from his pincers.

While Bella's flames had dispersed, Razor's body was still glowing brightly. His entire body looked as if it were melting, odd distortions and bubbles running along his metallic form. His wings were heavily singed at the end. One of his pincers actually dripping onto the dead grass under him.

Panting, the trio looked at each other, all of the still reeling from the encounter and unsure of what to do next.

-Resistance-

Zero and Furno waited anxiously outside the clinic, waiting anxiously for Dr. Kuren to return. Bella, as it turned out, was much more injured from their bout with Razor and required more medical attention than a few sitrus berries could provide and had passed out shortly after their victory. Her body was practically littered with gashes, all of which were leaking the same mist-like substance from earlier.

Not only that, but as neither Zero or Furno felt particularly good about simply leaving Razor in the clearing, especially in his condition. As such, the duo resolved take the unconscious Scizor with them to receive medical attention, taking turns bearing the pincer Pokémon's weight. The second they appeared in the division, bearing an unconscious teammate and a former member of the emperor's army, they rushed their charges to the clinic and to the doctor.

The Spinda took one look at their 'cargo', specifically the half-melted Scizor, and immediately kicked everyone who wasn't on death's door or a part of his staff out of the clinic and got to work. Shortly after, Regulus of all Pokémon came to them having heard that they had brought an unknown and severely injured Pokémon to the division. He didn't seem too upset, especially after they explained the and gave the Alakazam the stone that had caused the Scizor's transformation. That was over an hour ago.

Zero glanced at the Monferno sitting next to him. The fire-fighting type had been uncharacteristically silent since their arrival. Not that Zero blamed him. After an intense battle, like the one they just had, it wasn't all that uncommon to be reflective. At the same time, now that they weren't in danger, Zero was reminded that they had basically broken off their friendship. The adrenaline from combat had numbed the heavy weight of loss that was eating at him.

He shook his head, forcibly pulling himself from those thoughts. He turned his gaze towards the doors to the clinic, allowing his worry for his teammate to override his own pain.

Both young resistance members jumped as they heard a door slam behind them. Turning, they saw Dr. Kuren wobble towards them, his expression grim.

"Is Bella okay?" Zero asked the second the Spinda was in front of them.

"She is perfectly fine," Dr. Kuren reassured, giving the duo a small smile. "She was more exhausted than anything. She just needs some rest and she'll be as good as new."

Zero allowed himself a sigh of relief. "And Razor? How is he?"

The Spinda's smile fell from his face, a grim mask taking its place. "The Scizor on the other hand is in much more dire straits."

Zero felt his heart sink to his stomach. "Wh-What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if you're not already aware, Scizor use their wings to regulate their body temperature, keeping themselves from overheating by constantly beating their wings. Whatever… _change_ the stone you two mentioned caused, created an influx of energy."

"Which means?" Furno pressed.

"That _means_ the energy that filled his body was giving off an incredible amount of heat. Said heat was practically spilling out of his body, causing his metal exoskeleton to begin to melt. What's more, due to the heat being trapped within the exoskeleton's shell, Razor's inner body was met with an incredible amount of heat that he had no way of defending against." Dr. Kuren paused, taking the time to give both Pokémon searching looks. "In other words, he was being cooked from the inside out."

Zero swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling rather queasy. He did this. He had ordered Furno to keep using fire attacks to raise the Scizor's temperature. At the time, he thought this would just make the bug-steel type slow and sluggish, possibly even leading to Razor passing out. He never could have imagined that it would have such results.

As if hearing Zero's thoughts, Dr. Kuren then added, "You mustn't blame yourself for his state. Should he have been a normal Scizor, Razor more than likely would have simply lost consciousness. A Scizor's body is only able to produce and sustain so much heat and energy, but this stone…" The doctor seemed to shake with anger. "For it to be able to push a Pokémon's body so far, regardless of the increase in strength, such an item is incredibly dangerous. For such an item to exist is a terrifying prospect."

"That it is," a new voice spoke up. Turning, the resistance members and doctor saw Regulus walking towards them. His arms crossed behind his back and his expression grim.

"Regulus-uh, I mean, _Sir_ …" Zero stuttered unsure of how to address the Tribunal member.

"Regulus will suffice, young Zero," Regulus said kindly, though his expression never changed.

"Has the stone been examined?" Dr. Kuren asked, taking a step forward.

"Yes, but unfortunately there was very little we could actually find," Regulus admitted, a barely withheld scowl creeping across his snout. "From what we can determine, it is an evolutionary stone of sorts, but the Latios Division doesn't have the resources to fully examine the stone."

"So, what will you do?" Furno asked.

"We'll send it to the Latias Division, our sister division," Regulus answered. "They are more equipped to deal with this stone than we are."

"Let's hope they find something," Dr. Kuren commented, a deep scowl on his face. "Whatever that stone is…it's dangerous and there could be more."

"There probably is," Zero commented, gaining everyone's attention. "Razor said that he took it from the emperor when he was kicked out of the military. Chances are there's more than one of those stones."

"That is truly a horrifying thought," Regulus said.

"No kidding," Furno added, speaking for the first time since they had returned to the Latios Division. "We couldn't even touch him until his body started giving out." The Monferno grimaced. "If we had to face an army like that…"

"It is not something you need to concern yourselves with," Regulus interrupted, casting a stern gaze towards the Monferno.

"Huh? But—!" Furno tried to argue, but Regulus raised his hand for silence.

"You are children. Despite your triumphs, that fact remains. You will not be on the front lines any time soon."

Furno looked like he wanted to argue, not that Zero blamed him, especially after everything they had been through, but Regulus' expression gave no room for argument.

"He's right, you two," Dr. Kuren added. "War is not like battle. It's no place for children. Be thankful that you have not yet experienced it."

Furno still looked mutinous, but he held his tongue. "Fine."

Regulus nodded, seemingly satisfied by Furno's response. "I will see to it that your team receives any pertinent information revealed by the study of the stone, as it was you two that brought it to us. Until then, get some rest."

Recognizing that they had been dismissed, the duo got up and exited the clinic. As they reached the stairs, Zero paused. He turned back around towards the two elder Pokémon, noting that they were conversing with one another in hushed tones. He stared at them for several more seconds before turning back around and following Furno back to their quarters.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Trouble in Paradise

Despite Regulus wanting to keep the information withheld, news of the strange stone had spread like a wildfire, along with Team Dawn Breaker's involvement. Left and right, the young team was hounded by other resistance members for details of the Scizor's evolution. The team, under the behest of Regulus, tried to be as vague with the details as possible, if not outright denying their involvement. This, of course, did not dissuade member from asking them, nor did it dissuade the unease that the teams felt.

It seemed that every team, whether they were going out in the field or not, seemed to be on edge. More likely than not, hearing that the emperor had somehow developed a way to get Pokémon who previously had been incapable of evolution to do just that had them scared. What's worse, there was still no word from the Latias Division regarding the stone or any of its properties. They were all still very much in the dark regarding this new weapon.

Dozens of teams now frequented the training facilities, not wanting to be caught unaware out in the field with a new threat on the loose. It wasn't uncommon for Monty to be seen denying resistance members entry to his facility, both due to overcrowding and to keep Pokémon from overexerting themselves.

Zero, for his part, was no exception to the paranoia. He too worried about what would happen if his team encountered another Pokémon that could evolve like Razor had. Because of this, he had the entirety of his team in the training center whenever there was room. He was sure to give his team ample time to relax and recover, lest he incur Monty's and, Arceus forbid, Dr. Kuren's wrath, but he was sure to keep his team on top of their game.

The strained relationship between Zero and Furno didn't improve any in the days following their fallout. Any and all conversations between the two were short, hardly ever exceeding five words. Furno still listened and followed any orders given to him, but he had an attitude about him. Like he wasn't doing what was asked of him _for_ Zero's benefit and simply as an obligation to the team.

The other members of the team noticed this, they'd have to be blind not to. Both Weiss and Quill attempted to discover what had caused the riff between the two, Weiss being considerably more subtle than Quill, but both Zero and Furno remained tight-lipped. After a while, they stopped asking, but Zero noticed both Quill and Weiss would send both him and Furno worried glances.

Zero, for his part, was at a loss. He could see how things between him and Furno were affecting the team and causing unnecessary worry and stress, but he didn't know what to do. This wasn't like their argument back when they fought Registeel. This wasn't a simple disagreement, no this time, Zero felt genuine hatred from the Monferno and it both scared and worried him to the point where he stopped using his emotion sense, lest he feel the hatred of past friend.

Currently, Zero was trying his hardest to ignore the pointed look Weiss was sending him. He was sure that, despite the dark fur around his eyes, his fatigue must have been prevalent. On top of the constant training and exercise he put his team through, Stride too had stepped up his training. The Greninja found an excuse to train the Riolu every day, sometimes even interrupting his team's training to do so.

Stride seemed hellbent on making some kind of progress with the Silver Soul, pushing Zero to his limit each day. Once training was done, Zero would return to his room and collapse in his bed, sometimes forgoing eating in favor of rest. He made sure to eat an extra helping in the mornings, but this did little to placate his team. Or at least the ones who cared.

Zero was tired. No, he was _exhausted_. His innate endurance and energy as a fighting type seemed to run its course, leaving Zero ragged and worn. He had been feeling like this for a while, but he refused to complain. Stride had said that he could very well be the deciding factor in the coming war. He needed to get stronger. He had to get stronger. For the good of Lyore.

Zero glanced at his team, a burning seed blossoming in his chest. He had to be stronger for them…

Besides, Stride was his mentor. He obviously knew what he was doing. There was no way that he'd do anything harmful to the Riolu. That being said…

Zero glanced at the glow stones, noting that they were beginning to dim, a sign that the sun was beginning to set outside. Zero sighed at the sight. Stride would most likely be coming to pick him up for their daily training. While he was all for getting stronger, it was still difficult to get enthused about pushing his already strained body even further. Often, when he wasn't collapsing out of sheer exhaustion, he would have random cramps and soreness that would keep him up for hours on end, making it very difficult to get enough rest. And that's not even taking into account the nightmares.

He had started having them shortly after returning from the temple. Horribly vivid dreams of Beedrill with blood-stained stingers chasing after him, buzzing to the chorus of Furno crying and screaming. Occasionally, these visions were interposed by gruesome images of his team falling in battle, always saying (shouting) that it was his fault. Fire burned around their still forms, encompassing them in its unforgiving fury.

Buzzing rang in his ears, adding to the cacophony of his team's screams. He couldn't save them, any of them. He was supposed to save them, to save all of them, but he failed. It was all his fault. All…his…fault…

Zero jolted in his street, his eyes snapping open. He had fallen asleep, albeit briefly, but the images were still there. Seared into mind. It happened almost every time he closed his eyes, the nightmares, something he only mentioned to Stella after several sessions. Each time he woke up drenched in sweat, his heart beating at a furious pace.

While Stella did her best to come up with ways to alleviate his nightmares, they never diminished, nor did they get worse however. At least, that was the case until his fallout with Furno. Since then, the nightmares came every night, scaring him into fits of insomnia, making it nearly impossible to sleep. He had considered eating chesto berries as a way to defend against the nightmares, after all, if he didn't sleep, he wouldn't have nightmares, but Stella had quickly abolished this idea.

The Espeon explained that eating the berries constantly and not sleeping could and would lead to a myriad of health issues, not to mention a severe increase in irritability. In conclusion, she had basically said that, in short of getting a Drowzee or Hypno on his team, he would just have to grit his teeth and bear with the nightmares.

Zero snapped out of his thoughts as a sharp knock came from their door before Stride stepped into their rooms. "Hello Team Dawn Breaker," he said with a cordial wave towards the young team. He received a few half-hearted greetings and grunts from the team, the wonder of seeing such a revered member of the resistance having faded with his constant visits.

Stride seemed not to notice the lack luster greeting and focused his gaze on the Riolu. Zero sighed internally. From the corner of his eye, he saw Furno silently scoff, turning in such a way so that his face was hidden. A stab of guilt and longing cut through him, but he quickly squashed the feeling. Instead, Zero resigned himself to another day of training and made to get up.

"I find it odd that you are training Zero so frequently." Zero froze at Weiss' statement.

"Hmm?" Stride hummed, turning to the off-color Absol.

"It's just strange," she commented, almost flippantly had Zero not noticed the sharp gleam in her teal eyes. "Every day, without fail, you come by to train him, and only him. I find myself curious as to the purpose of such actions."

The Greninja's mouth twitched ever so slightly, his eyes narrowing at the disaster Pokémon. "I simply want him to be as strong as he can be."

"Then wouldn't it be advantageous for you to train all of us?" Weiss pressed. "After all, a team's only as strong as its weakest member. Having one strong member isn't enough for a team to be successful, don't you think?"

Stride's smile became rather fixed at Weiss' continued questioning. "The majority of what I wish to teach him is how to be an effective leader, such as battle tactics and planning."

Furno scoffed just loud enough for Zero to hear. "Yeah, because you've been a prime example of an _effective_ leader," he muttered under his breath.

"If that is the case," Weiss continued, "then why is he coming back exhausted every night?"

"Training, no matter the type, will of course be strenuous," Stride said easily, though his now tense posture betrayed his true emotions.

"Hmm…" Weiss hummed, clearly not believing the Greninja for one minute. "You do know the effects of exerting one's body continuously without rest, don't you?"

Zero's eyes widened, his breath hitching. Weiss' remark was said in an off-handed manner, but there was a distinctive accusing edge to it. Around the room, equally shocked expressions prevalent, all of them startled by the brash comment.

The surprised look on Stride's face quickly melted away, replaced by a deep frown. "I don't think I like what you're implying."

"And I don't like seeing our leader come back every night too exhausted to stand," Weiss shot back, all pretense of subtlety gone.

"Weiss…" Zero tried to interrupt, but was ignored.

Stride now openly glared. "I'd watch your tone if I were you. I have far more experience in these regards. I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah? Well, I'm starting to have doubts about that," Weiss, who was now standing, snarled, glaring up heatedly at the Greninja.

"Weiss, I'm fi—" I tried to step in again, but was quickly silenced as Weiss' glare shifted towards me.

"Don't you dare say that you're fine, Zero," she all but growled. "You may think that you're getting stronger by pushing yourself so hard, but you're doing more harm than good!"

"But I _am_ fine," Zero argued, wincing at how childish he sounded. "Yes, I'm tired, but it's bearable. Besides, I'm a fighting type. We're literally built for intense training."

"Even fighting types have limits," Weiss snapped. "You're not infallible just because you have more stamina to burn."

"Not to mention that fighting types need rest just as much as any other type," Quill pointed out.

"I've got to agree with them on this, Zero," Bogran added, giving the Riolu a sheepish grin. "I'm pretty sure any other Pokémon would spend several days sleeping if they were in the state, you're in every night."

"Exactly my point," Zero argued. "I'm _not_ like other Pokémon. I'm different. I'm—" Zero cut himself off, just barely keeping himself from exposing his secret. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Look. I know my limits. I know what I can and can't do. This training I'm doing is something that I have to do and I am more than capable of doing it."

"But why push yourself so hard?!" Weiss demanded, her voice no longer angry but full of concern. "Is this because of what happened at the Temple of Memoria? Because, if it is, this isn't a healthy way to cope…"

"That isn't why I'm doing this!" Zero interrupted, a flicker of anger sparking through me. "This has nothing to do with… _that_. I'm doing this for my own benefit."

"And what benefit could you possibly be getting by working yourself into an early grave?" Weiss snapped, her anger returning.

"I have to be stronger," Zero said evasively, unable to meet Weiss' gaze. Distantly, he thought about how odd it was that Weiss was the one pressing the issue. Had things been different, Furno most likely would have been the one pointing out the Riolu's apparent decline in health. "I just have to."

Next to him, Furno's tail flame flared, an unknown emotion flickering across his face, but Zero paid him little mind. his focus remained on the floor, inwardly wishing he could become one with it. Wishing he could ignore the stares he was getting from everybody in the room. Unfortunately, Weiss wouldn't allow this.

"And what reason is that? We all want to be stronger, but you don't see any of us pushing ourselves like you are. So, why? Why are you doing this?"

"…"

"What reason could you possibly have for doing this to yourself?"

"…"

"Please, Zero…" Weiss' tone became almost pleading. "You can talk to us. We're teammates."

Zero almost cracked. Almost. Weiss sounded so vulnerable at that moment, an emotion that she never showed. It made Zero want to immediately console her. To blurt out everything that he had been told to keep from his team, and it made the next words that came out of his mouth all the more painful.

"…I can't…" The moment those words left his mouth, Zero regretted them. He could feel something break. A bond, forged by time and camaraderie, snapped in less than a second.

"I see." Zero winced at the now frigid voice of Weiss. He refused to look up, refusing to see the angry yet hurt look the Absol was no doubt sporting because he knew that, should he see it, he would cave.

A heavy silence ensued, blanketing the entire room in tension. Zero wished from the bottom of his heart that Stride would say something. Anything. Be it in his defense or even just to remind them that they had to train. Anything to allow him to escape his current situation. Blessedly, it would appear that Arceus was listening to his prayers. "If it is any consolation, I won't be training Zero today."

Zero's head snapped towards the Greninja in surprise. "Huh?"

A thousand thoughts clashed in Zero's mind. Had he taken to long? Did Stride realize that it was hopeless to pursue the Silver Soul? Was the Greninja giving up on him?

"Yes, I actually stopped by to inform you that Fafnir requested you and Furno, as well as myself to speak with him at the Groudon Division," he explained. "As such, I want both of you to get to sleep early so that we can set out early. We'll have to cancel your lessons for the time being."

"Wait, he wants to see both of us?" Furno asked, unable to keep the shock from his voice.

Stride turned to the Monferno for the first time since entering their rooms. "Yes. It's most likely regarding our findings at the temple."

Furno nodded, his expression once more closing off. Seeing that the fire-fighting type was not going to say anything else, Stride turned back to the rest of the team. "I assume you have a de facto leader in place for times when you cannot lead, Zero?"

"Yeah, me," Weiss answered, her voice still sharp.

"Hmph," Stride hummed noncommittally, his expression blank. After a few seconds of silently appraising the Absol, he turned to Zero. "I expect you and Furno to be ready at first light."

Zero tried not to wince at the coldness in the Greninja's voice. He managed a short nod before Stride turned on his heel and left the room. Zero stared at the door the ninja Pokémon had just exited from, doing his best to ignore the looks his team was no doubt giving him.

A hole seemed to open up in his chest as he temporarily lost control of emotion sense, allowing his team's emotion to crash into him like a wave. He could feel them. Their worry, their fear, their anger, their hurt…

Zero's paws clenched, digging into the soft fabric of his chair. He couldn't take it. Without a word, or so much as a glance at his team, he got up and quickly went into his room, giving a swift "Goodnight" to his team before closing the door.

Once alone, Zero made his way to one of the pillars of crystalized aura in his room, stumbling as he struggled to push away the rampant emotions that he was feeling. He all but collapsed before the crystal, allowing his head to rest against its cool surface. Immediately, a wave of calm encompassed the former human, soothing some of the fatigue he was feeling and allowing him to regain control of his emotion sense.

Zero closed his eyes, sighing at the slight relief. Despite this, he couldn't help but dwell on his team. It was falling apart, even a Zubat could see that. It hurt, keeping so much from them. He was sure that they would understand why he was training so much, but he couldn't tell them. Stride forbade it.

For the time being, he would just have to make things work. They would understand soon. They had to.

"You know, you could at least pretend to care about how the others feel." A cold voice snapped Zero out of his thoughts. Glancing up, Zero saw that Furno was leaning against his door frame, his expression blank. His eyes looking anywhere but at Zero.

"Huh?"

"With Weiss," Furno clarified. "She's worried about you and you dismissed her feelings."

Zero flinched. "I didn't mean to. I just…she was worrying for nothing. I'm fine."

"Clearly," Furno commented. His voice was even, making it difficult for Zero to tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Look, you know why I can't say anything," Zero argued, unable to keep the frustration out of his voice. He glanced at the door, making sure that no one could hear them speak. "Stride told us that we have to keep the Silver Soul, and the fact that I'm trying to unlock it, a secret."

"Hmm," Furno hummed dismissively. "I seem to recall a time where you said there would be no secrets among the team."

Zero grit his teeth. "You think I like keeping secrets?!" he all but growled. "I want nothing more than to tell them! I want to tell them about why I'm training so much so they don't worry about me, but Stride said—"

"This isn't Stride's team," Furno interrupted, finally turning so that he was facing Zero. Zero visibly flinched under the Monferno's cold stare that betrayed no emotion. " _You_ decide how to run the team, not Stride. You might want to remember that."

Furno pushed off of the door frame, turning his back on Zero. "We may not be friends, but I _do_ care for this team and I don't want to see it fall apart."

With that, Furno left, closing the door with more force than was necessary. Zero shoulders sagged, leaning heavily on the pillar of crystalized aura behind him. "Dammit…"

It was odd. Back when they first formed Team Dawn Breaker, it was Furno that followed Stride's words like they were gospel and Zero questioned practically everything. Now here he was, following Stride's direction and Furno was the one thinking independently.

With a strangled cry, Zero light banged his head against the crystalline pillar behind him. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?"

-Resistance-

The trip to the Groudon Division was uneventful, but incredibly tense. After an awkward goodbye to the rest of the team, Stride ushered Zero and Furno into the field, hardly giving the duo enough time to grab their weather bands. The almost week-long journey passed in almost complete silence. Furno, for obvious reasons, ignored Zero the best he could, only speaking to the former human when it was absolutely necessary, which wasn't very often much to Zero's disappointment.

If Stride noticed any of this, he gave no indication as he appeared to be in his own little world throughout their trip. Honestly, Zero was surprised as he had expected the Greninja to start on their training the moment they set up camp for the evening, but he was pleasantly surprised that the Greninja made no mention of anything of the sort. Instead the ninja Pokémon seemed distracted. On more than one occasion, Zero caught Stride gazing off at nothing or staring at the Riolu when he thought the emanation Pokémon wasn't looking.

It was incredibly odd and Zero couldn't help but feel a chill run down his pine every time it occurred. He did his best to ignore the stares, but, with Furno ignoring him, there wasn't much Zero could do to distract himself.

With both Furno's passive aggressive silence and Stride's odd, and borderline unnerving, looks, Zero almost cried in relief when they reached the Red Sand Desert. In no time at all, they reached the quicksand pit and, after a still slightly terrifying jump, entered the Groudon Division.

Even though this wasn't the first time in the division, it was still amazing to Zero to see the virtual spiderweb of bridges and pathways that spanned the open chasm that was the Groudon Division. The glow stone torches, giving the entire structure a rather ominous look.

"Let go. Fafnir's waiting for us," Stride said tersely, prompting Zero to start moving.

As they made their way down the winding pathways of the division, it occurred to the Riolu that Orion might be around. It was his division after all, it would make sense that the Lucario would be there. To be honest, Zero wasn't sure if he wanted to see the Lucario again.

Yes, the Riolu missed the Lucario's insight and teachings. While Stride worked with him, it wasn't the same as working with his evolution. Orion had mentioned when they first met that Lucario, by nature, sought out a Riolu to take on as student just as Riolu sought out one to teach them. Zero, despite not being a _typical_ Riolu definitely felt _something_ towards the Lucario. A kinship perhaps. One that sparked a deep-seeded desire to impress the Lucario.

However, despite all this, they hadn't exactly parted ways on the best of terms. Chances were that the aura Pokémon still held some resentment towards him and Furno for siding with Stride at the temple. Not only that, but Zero highly doubted Stride would want to interact with Orion at all and, if they did, Zero was positive things would end badly.

Blessedly, Zero didn't have much time to dwell on these thoughts as a sharp knock snapped him back into the present. They had reached Fafnir's office without him even noticing! After a gruff 'enter', Stride pushed open the doors and the trio entered the office.

Like before, the orange dragon was sitting behind his desk, several stacks of paper strewn across its surface. The dragon Pokémon continued to glance over his papers for several seconds before finally looking up at the trio. Surprise flickered behind the dragon-flying type's eyes and Zero's eyes narrowed.

"Stride."

"We came as instructed," Stride said, appearing not to have noticed the Dragonite's surprise.

Fafnir frowned, though it looked more like a scowl than anything else. "What are you blabbering on about?"

Stride visibly faltered. Blinking rapidly as if not understanding. "Pardon?"

"I said what the hell are you talking about?!" Fafnir growled in annoyance.

Stride glanced back at Zero and Furno in uncertainty, a similar expression on the faces of Team Dawn Breaker. "You…called us here," Stride explained, now frowning himself. "You specifically requested that Zero, Furno, and I come here."

"I did no such thing!" Fafnir exclaimed, his frown slipping into a mask of confusion.

Stride's frown deepened. He made to say something bought was drowned out by the cacophonous explosion that shook the entire base.

 **Author's Note**

I am so sorry that it's been so long since I've updated Resistance. A couple of friends and I have been in the process of renting a house so my focus has been elsewhere. I also want to apologize for how clunky the character interactions have been as of late. I'm finding it difficult to correctly portray the emotions of my characters without expressly stating how they feel. You know; the whole "show vs. tell" concept. As such, if any of you have any suggestions on how to better represent a character's mindset without blatantly stating how they are, I would greatly appreciate it. Anyway, thank you all again for reading my stories and feel free to leave a review. See you all next time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Destruction of What is Held Dear

The entire base shook violently under the force of the explosion. Caught off guard, both Zero and Furno were sent sprawling to the ground. Stride manage to catch himself in a half kneel and Fafnir fell out of his chair. The tremor only lasted a couple of seconds, but it left clear damage as visible cracks split the walls.

"What the hell was that?!" Furno shakily demanded as he rose to his feet, eyes blown wide.

Another explosion, significantly weaker than the previous one, echoed up above. Distantly, the quartet could hear shouting.

"What's happening?" Zero asked, glancing at the ceiling with worried eyes. "It sounds like battling."

"Can't be, my men know better than to fight in the middle of the base!" Fafnir growled as he got to his feet.

"There is another possibility," Stride suggested, eyeing the doors.

"There's no way that could happen!" Fafnir denied, glaring ferociously at the Greninja. "Our division's security is second to none!"

Another explosion rang out, this one sounding much closer. There was no denying it now, there w _ere_ Pokémon shouting up above. Their words weren't clear, but there was a distinct sense of panic in their volume and there was urgency in their words.

"Don't be a fool, Fafnir! No defense is perfect. What else could this be?!" Stride shouted.

"Um, what exactly could this be?" Zero interrupted before the Dragonite could speak.

Stride regarded the Riolu, a million thoughts appearing to race through his mind in an instant, conveyed by the ferocity of the Greninja's gaze. "An invasion."

"A-An invasion?" Furno stuttered, his mask of irate indifference crumbling in an instant. Genuine fear and worry taking its place. "As in…the Emperor's soldiers…?"

"There's not soldier's here!" Fafnir all but roared. "The Groudon Division has stood longer than any other division! Our security protocols—"

Whatever the dragon Pokémon was about to say was cut off by a loud impact ringing against the doors. The large wood doors shook violently against the doorframe as something repeatedly beat against it. The quartet tensed as the doors continued to rattle under the heavy blows impacting against it. Finally, they caved in.

A lone figure burst into Fafnir's office, landing with a heavy thud. The Pokémon was large, both in height and in bulk. Zero would have called the Pokémon fat had he not seen the Pokémon's body ripple with barely restrained might as it leapt through the hole it had just made in the sturdy doors.

Its upper body was a pale cream color while its lower half were dark blue with yellow extensions circling its waist like a skirt. Its head had a triangular-like crest and dark blue hair extended down its back like a ponytail. The Pokémon's most noticeable feature were its hands, which were more than twice the size of the Pokémon's head, and had three fingers. Both its hands and its feet were a bright orange.

The large Pokémon glared at the group, bringing up its arms in an aggressive manner. As it did so, Zero saw a familiar band on the large Pokémon's arm. They were a soldier. With a war cry, the soldier charged towards them, arms poised to strike, only to be blasted out of the room by a well-placed Hyper Beam from Fafnir.

Now, with a large hole in the middle of the doors, they could clearly hear the sounds of distant fighting. Flashes of energy lit up the dim maze-like cavern that was the Groudon Division, the ensuing shockwaves and tremors causing dust to fall like rain.

Fafnir stomped towards the hole and glanced out. "This…This is…impossible…" He sounded angry, yet lost at the same time. Like he was in denial about what was happening and furious that it had occurred.

"Fafnir," Stride called out, taking a tentative step towards the division leader, Zero and Furno moving closer as well. As they did, they saw first hand the destruction that the soldiers had caused.

A fire had broken out, spanning across several of the bridges and most likely spreading to mny of the landings. Of the ones that were not on fire, several of the bridges had collapsed or were in the process of collapsing having been damaged in one of the many explosions that still rocked the division. Resistance members were everywhere, fighting the soldiers that seemed to be pouring in endless droves, seeming to slowly overtake the members of the Groudon Division.

"This can't be…" Fafnir whispered. "This can't…"

"Fafnir," Stride called out again, his tone getting more urgent.

"This…can't…" The Dragonite's voice trembled along with his massive form. His clawed hands curled into tight fists, electricity sparking ominously from between his two antennae. "No…I won't let this happen!"

The Dragonite roared loudly, his shout echoing through the burning division. His wings flared out, stirring up a small gust of wind, before he shot into the air. He only got a few yards away before Stride's tongue shot out and grabbed his wrist.

"Control yourself, Fafnir!" the Greninja shouted, somehow able to speak clearly despite his tongue extended as it was.

"Release me, Stride!" Fafnir roared, trying to tug his arm free. Fury clouding his eyes.

"We need to escape, not fight!" Stride argued, wincing as his tongue was pulled.

"You wish to flee?!" Fafnir demanded, sounding disgusted. "You wish to run away while the emperor trounces through out divisions, attacking our friends and allies?! You dare call yourself a member of the resistance?!"

Electricity sparked across the Dragonite's body, running down Stride's tongue. The Greninja reeled his tongue back with a hiss of pain. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but we can't afford to be caught here! Not as we are now." As he said this, Stride glanced back at Zero and Furno, both of whom were staring at the destruction around them in horror.

Fafnir followed the Greninja's gaze and his glare softened ever so slightly. With a huff, he lowered himself back to the ground, stopping just a foot off the ground. "There are several passage ways out of the division that lead out into the desert. The closest one is here."

He flew over to what appeared to be an average wall before stopping before it. Fafnir then reared his fist back and punched the wall hard enough for the stone to crack and break. As the rock fell away, a passage was revealed. "Go through here and you'll pop out about a mile away from the quicksand pits."

"Thank you," Stride said. Fafnir just grunted before turning back to face the destruction.

"Just get out those two out of here. This is no place for children now."

"Come with us," Zero said. "There isn't…"

"I will not abandon my division," Fafnir said, glaring at the mere thought of such an action. "I will defend this place to my final breath."

Before anything more could be said, Fafnir shot up into the air, joining the fray. "Come on," Stride said urgently, ushering both of his charges through the tunnel, ignoring their complaints.

"We can't just leave them!" Zero protested. "We can help!"

"No. We can't," Stride grunted through gritted teeth. "Stop struggling. We have to move!"

"But we've fought the emperor's soldiers before!" Zero argued, trying to free himself from Stride's grip. "We can—"

"Zero, use your head!" Stride, finally having enough of Zero's arguing, turned and shouted at the Riolu. "They attacked a _division_! A location that they knew had a plethora of Pokémon more willing to fight than surrender. If they willingly attacked such a place, do think that they'd be ill prepared?!"

Zero flinched at the Greninja's sudden shout, but continued to glare defiantly. Stride met the former human's glare with one of his own and continued. "They would have had to know that they would meet opposition and would have prepared for such! There is no doubt that they have several high-ranking officers leading the attack. It would be suicide to go against them."

"But Fafnir—"

"Has made his choice!" Stride interrupted Zero. "Don't let Fafnir's apparent recklessness fool you. He knew full and well that the odds were against him the second he took off, the same as I do. He chose to fight for his division and the Pokémon under his command while I chose to get you two out of here."

Zero grit his teeth, unable to come up with anything to refute the Greninja. While there was no telling how many soldiers and infiltrated the Groudon Division, it would make sense that it was a sizable force. There was a chance that Fafnir and his division would pull through, without any other support, chances were that Stride's prediction would come true.

"Now, come on!" Stride said, forcefully pulling the Riolu down the tunnel. Zero stumbled after the Greninja, but made no move to fight against his hold. Furno, who had been eerily silent through the exchange, took the chance to glance behind them at the fire that was beginning to spread to the lower floors.

"How did this happen?" he asked softly.

Stride said nothing, his gaze firmly set on the path ahead. The tunnel, as they found out, was lined with stone torches, casting a dim light down its expanse. The trio walked in silence, the ninja Pokémon still keeping a firm grip on the younger duo's wrists. The chorus of explosion and screams began to fade into the background with each step they took.

The members of Team Dawn Breaker struggled to keep up with the Greninja's long strides, occasionally stumbling as they were tugged along. Stride seemed to notice none of this as his attention was elsewhere the entire time. While his gaze was firmly straight ahead, his mind was clearly elsewhere. His body was tense and jerky, starting at every tremor that passed through the tunnel. Occasionally, he would mutter something under his breath, but it was too soft for either Furno or Zero to hear.

A particularly large tremor shook the tunnel, causing Stride to freeze, his grip on their wrists becoming bruising. Stride glanced behind them; his eyes narrowed. After several seconds of silence, Stride released a slow breath and began walking again. "We've got to be getting close," he muttered.

"Do you…do you think the others are okay?" Furno asked, his tone just above being timid.

Like before, Stride made no move to answer the Monferno, not that Zero blamed him. Stride clearly had an opinion on the matter, if the way he tensed at the fire-fighting type's question was any indication, but he didn't want to share it either. Whether it was for their benefit or Stride just didn't want to talk, Zero wasn't sure, but Furno wasn't having it.

"Will you stop ignoring me!" Furno roared, wrenching his arm free from Stride's grip.

Stride stopped dead in his tracks, slowly turning to face the irate Monferno. "What was that?"

"All this time, since we got back from the temple…you've been completely ignoring me!" Furno raged. "You promised to train both of us, but it's only been Zero! You've just been…ignoring me!"

"Now's not the time for this, Furno," Stride growled with barely restrained anger, his grip tightening to the point Zero winced.

"That's just it, it's never a good time!" Furno shouted. "It's always about training Zero, but never me! You said that you'd help _us_ become strong, but you're just focusing on him now. Why is that?! What changed?! I get that he needs to control the Silver Soul, but—"

"Clearly, you _don't_ understand!" Stride snarled. He let go of Zero and, in a moment, he was pinning Furno against the wall by his neck. "You _don't_ understand what's at stake if Zero doesn't master that power."

"Furno!" Zero exclaimed in worry. He moved to intervene, but was frozen on the spot by the deadly glare Stride sent his way.

"That power will be the thing that saves us all from the emperor. _Nothing_ is more important," Stride said, turning back to Furno. His voice was even, but there was a large amount of anger behind each word. "Not my life and not yours. I will do what is necessary to make sure that that power is cultivated properly, and if that means I have to devote all my time training him, and only him, then so be it!"

His grip tightened ever so slightly, causing Furno to cough as his airway was restricted. "What I don't need," Stride continued, "are self-entitled Pokémon, like yourself, demanding things from me and questioning my decisions!"

Furno tried to speak, but all that came out were choked gurgles. "Stride! He can't breathe!" Zero exclaimed. "Let him go!"

"Yes, Stride. Let him go. After all, we're the ones you should be fighting~"

Zero's heart skipped a beat at the new voice. He began to turn around, only to be struck in the chest by a bolt of electricity. With a sharp bark of pain, Zero was blasted back into the wall, his head smacking against the stone.

Dazed, Zero could hear his name being shouted along with the sounds of battle. By the time his head stopped spinning, he saw Furno being pinned by an Arcanine and Stride on his knees with a Raichu's tail hovering just at his throat.

"So nice of you to join us, Zero!" a cheerful voice called from next to him. A very…familiar voice. Slowly, Zero turned to face the speaker and his heart dropped when he realized who it was.

"You're just in time to join a little… _get together_ ," Orion said, a twisted smile stretching across his face, the symbol of the emperor emblazoned on his armband.

-Resistance-

Zero hardly reacted as he was dragged through the remainder of the tunnel. He was fairly certain that both Furno and Stride were being dragged behind him, if the slight sounds of a scuffle were anything to go by, but he hardly paid them any mind. Instead, his attention was straight ahead. Fully on the traitor in front of him.

He was torn. Orion, one of the people he thought he could trust, the one who had taught him the most after Stride, was a soldier. A Pokémon that served the Emperor. The very being that the Resistance has been working all this time to bring down. How could Orion do something like that?!

Zero received a hard shove from behind, causing him to stumble. "Keep moving, boy," his captor growled in an oddly distorted voice.

Glancing behind him, Zero momentarily locked gazes with the singular red eye of the ghost escorting him. He hadn't seen a Pokémon like this before. It had a roundish, gray body with two, wispy, light gray growths coming from its shoulders and a smaller one on the top of its head. It stood on two stubby legs and had no visible arms, but it had two light gray hands seemingly attached to its chest. Its face, if it could be called that. Underneath its eye, it had three tooth-like protrusions, almost resembling a skull. In all honesty, it looked like almost like a Duskull if he squinted.

The ghost narrowed its singular eye before shoving Zero again. "Eyes forward!" they snapped.

"Now, now, Wisp. There's no need to be so rough with him," Orion simpered. He turned to Zero with a falsely sweet smile. "Sorry about them. Dusclops are one of the more violent ghost types out there. Don't mind them."

Zero narrowed its eyes, a low growl rumbling in his throat. This wasn't the Orion he knew. There wasn't so much as a glimpse of the warm and kind Lucario that Zero had known. All he could see and feel was the malicious and cold Pokémon in front of him.

He wanted scream and shout at Orion, at the false imitation of the Lucario he had come to know. This had to be some kind of ploy. Orion must have a reason for what he was doing. He couldn't truly be one of the Emperor's soldiers! Zero wanted to demand answers as to why he would betray them all, but he couldn't get the words past his lips.

If Orion heard Zero's growl or not, Zero wasn't sure as the Lucario just smirked. Without so much as another word, he turned back around and continued walking forward.

"Why'd you do it?!" Furno suddenly shouted, speaking the very question Zero had been unable to ask. "Why'd you betray the Resistance?!" The only indication that Orion had heard Furno's shout was a slight tilt of his head. His silence infuriated the Monferno as he started shouting again. "Answer me you—!"

"Undine, if you would," Orion interrupted.

That was the only warning they got before the Vaporeon shot a large sphere of water that encompassed Furno completely. Zero shouted in alarm and horror as he watched his friend writhe in pain, trapped within the orb of water. The orange glow of his tail flame just visible within the murky condensed waves.

"Let him go!" Zero cried. He tried to run to his teammate, but Wisp held him back. He whipped around to look at Orion. "Let him go! Please!" he pleaded desperately.

Orion regarded the Riolu with an unreadable expression before nodding to the Vaporeon. Undine scoffed at the action, but dropped her Water Pulse, causing Furno to fall to the ground. A second passed without Furno so much as twitching and Zero fully believed him to be dead until the Monferno started coughing.

"There will be no questions except for the ones we ask," Orion said coldly, staring at the Monferno in disinterest. "Next time you speak out of turn, it will be your life."

Furno glared hatefully at the Lucario, though the intensity of his glare was greatly diminished due to his ragged appearance. Disregarding the glare, Orion turned to the Arcanine of the group. "Get him up." With that, Orion turned around once more and the group resumed their trek.

As they walked, Zero chanced a glance back at Stride, who had been eerily since their capture, even when Furno had been drowning. Looking at him, Zero saw that the Greninja seemed…defeated. He was hunched over as if exhausted and he had a detached look on his face. It looked like…

It looked like he had given up.

"Ah, we're here," Orion suddenly spoke, pulling Zero's attention forward. They had come to the mouth of the tunnel, the bright light of the outside almost blinding after being the dark tunnel for so long.

As they stepped out, the group was immediately met with the arid, dry, air of the desert, the almost burning sand crunching underneath their feet. Immediately upon exiting, Zero saw that several other Pokémon were assembled before them, about nine in all. Five of them were soldiers, their armbands making that fact clear. The other four, who had to be members of the Resistance, were kneeling in the center of the soldiers.

"Well, looks like your hunch was correct, Orion," one of the soldiers, a Typhlosion if Zero wasn't mistaken, called with a large smirk on his face as he stepped towards the approaching group. "Got yourself a good haul."

"Of course," Orion practically scoffed. "You'd be wise not to doubt me in the future."

"You monsters!" one of the Resistance members shouted from their position. "They're just children! Leave them be!"

"Quiet, you!" one of the soldiers yelled, slapping the one that had spoken.

"Well then, now that we're all here, we can finally have that chat," Orion said.

The Lucario directed his team to deposit their charges with the rest of the group. Said charges were unceremoniously thrown between their fellow Resistance members as Orion murmured something to his cohorts. After doing so, Orion stepped over to Stride and crouched down before him.

"Now, let's get down to business," Orion purred, leaning in close so that his snout was just inches from Stride's face. "Now…tell me everything you know about the Silver Soul."

"The Silver Soul?!" one of the Resistance members, the same one that had spoken before, a Zangoose whose fur was very disheveled. "You still chasing that fantasy?!"

The Zangoose laughed uproariously despite the situation he was in. "That's rich! To think that, even among the soldiers, such delusions are prevalent!"

Orion glanced at the cat ferret Pokémon, his smirk falling to a thin line. "Scorch."

Before anyone could react, the Arcanine lunged forward in a blur of red and orange. The Zangoose didn't even get to yell as he was pounced on and pinned to the red sands. The legendary Pokémon began to growl menacingly, steadily getting louder as he opened his mouth to—

Zero turned away, not wanting to see what happened, but he could not stop the sound. The Zangoose only screamed once before there was an audible snap. After that, it was quiet.

"Thank you, Scorch," Orion said cheerfully as if his teammate hadn't just attacked another Pokémon. "Now," he said, turning back to Stride, "about my earlier question…?"

"You disgust me," Stride sneered, his blank mask warping into a twisted visage of contempt and hate. "How could you turn against the Resistance?!"

Orion chuckled as if Stride had just told an amusing joke. "Oh, Stride. I can't turn against what I had never been a part of."

Stride's eyes widened before narrowing. "So, you've been a spy from the start?" he accused.

"Of course," Orion replied, causing laughter to resonate through the other soldiers. "Back when I was still a Riolu, trying to work my way up from an infantry soldier, when the Emperor came to me." A small smile formed on his lips. "Out of all the new recruits, he saw my potential. He gifted me with an important task, to infiltrate the Resistance and tell him their secrets. Imagine my surprise when you actually found concrete evidence about the Silver Soul, the foretold end of the Emperor."

"So, all this time…" Stride said, his anger rising with every word. "I was right about you all along!"

"Yes, you were," Orion laughed. "When you started acting suspicious of me, I thought that I had been found out. Thankfully, your paranoia is legendary among all the divisions, so no one took your 'delusional ramblings' seriously."

"You bastard," Stride growled.

"Now, now. No need for such language," Orion said in a faux scolding tone. "After all, there are children present. Now, my previous question…?"

"Go to hell!" Stride spat, glaring defiantly at the traitor. "I'd rather die to tell you, or your _master_ , anything!"

"Oh, I know you would," Orion said. "You always were a stubborn one, even if it led to pain, but how stubborn will you be if your charges are the ones in danger."

Orion's words didn't register within Zero's mind immediately, part of him was still reeling over Orion suddenly turning on them after all, but his obliviousness didn't last. Before either he or Furno could react, they were grabbed. Wisp had appeared behind Zero and pulled him to the ghost type's chest, his free hand grabbing Zero's muzzle. Seeing this, Furno tried to rush the Dusclops, but the Raichu had sent out their wire-like tail and grabbed the Monferno by his neck and lifted him into the air, just tight enough to restrict his breathing but not enough to stop it entirely.

Immediately, shouts of objection filtered through the captured resistance members but were quickly silenced by a cold glare from Orion. "You would hurt children?" Stride asked. He didn't sound surprised. In fact, he sounded devoid of emotion. "You would kill them?"

Orion raised a disbelieving brow. "Are you of all people really asking that?"

Stride didn't respond.

"I suppose I won't kill both of them. That'd just be a waste." Orion mused, glancing at Team Dawn Breaker. "If I recall, Furno wields the Ikari Flame, something that the Emperor has sought after for a good amount of time. He would be most pleased if I brought it to him, especially after all of Aster's failures. Then again…"

Orion's focus then turned to Zero. "I have to admit; I've grown quite fond of our resident amnesiac. Riolu are such a rarity in this day an age. He could be an invaluable asset, especially under the right tutelage."

Zero felt sick at Orion's implication; that he would just _bow_ to the Emperor and accept Orion as a master. Orion looked between the Riolu and Monferno, a sadistic smile beginning to creep over his face. "Decisions. Decisions. What do you think, Stride?"

Once more, Stride didn't respond.

"Hmm…I think maybe I'll spare Zero. He is kin after all." Despite him saying this, Zero felt no relief. "That of course means that Furno has to suffer!"

Next to Zero, Furno made a chocked sound. Zero looked to his teammate, meeting his eyes, and he wish he hadn't. His face, strained with lack of oxygen, was a mask of fear. Tear beginning to shimmer at the corner of his eyes. Even without using his emotion sense, Zero could feel Furno's feel, practically choking him with its intensity.

"Unless of course…" Orion continued. "You tell us what we want to know, Stride."

Zero felt legitimately sick at that. This wasn't a joke, it was real. Orion wasn't faking it. He was truly one of the Emperor's soldiers. And a depraved one at that.

Mind raging with a thousand thoughts of betrayal, Zero looked desperately at Stride, knowing full well that the Greninja had a plan…

Zero's heart sank when he saw the cold acceptance on the Greninja's face

"No?" Orion questioned. "Well alright then. Volt?"

Zero's eyes widened in horror; a desperate plea smothered by Wisp's clammy hand, but his muffled shout was lost to amidst the horrifying scream of his friend as he was violently electrocuted.

Zero's heart stopped as he was forced to listen to Furno's screams. He struggled wildly against his captor's grip, but the ghost was too strong. He screamed through the hand gripping him, but he couldn't even hear his smothered screams over Furno's cries.

"That's enough, Volt." Orion's voice cut through the screams.

The electrical assault ended in that instant, though the Raichu didn't look too happy about it. Furno stopped screaming, his entire body hanging limp in Volt's grip. He was panted raggedly, the grip on his neck certainly not helping any.

"Mph," Zero tried to call out to his friend, but Wisp's hand still covered his face.

"Anything to say, Stride?" Orion asked.

Zero turned to Stride, desperation filling his eyes, silently begging the Greninja to give Orion what he wanted.

Stride still remained silent.

Orion sighed. He looked to Volt and gave a short nod.

And Furno's screams began anew.

Once more, Zero struggled against Wisp, but the beckon Pokémon just tightened his grip, whispering threats in the Riolu's ear, but Zero could hardly hear them. He couldn't bear to listen to his friend suffer. He wanted nothing more than to attack the one hurting him, but he couldn't. He was too weak…

Like before, Volt stopped their attack shortly after it begun, leaving Furno in a much worse state than before. By the way he looked, he wouldn't survive much more.

"Tick, tock, Stride. Your little protégé won't last much longer," Orion chimed. Despite his laidback tone, Zero noted an encroachment of anger. Yet, despite this, Stride remained unfazed. Orion began to glare, annoyance written clearly across his face, and turned to Volt. "Do it."

And they did. Several more times.

Zero had stopped struggling after the fourth bout of electrocution. Now, he openly cried, forced to watch and listen as his friend was tortured. By that point, the other resistance members too were shouting for Stride to do what Orion demanded, unable to watch as a child was tortured. Even the other soldiers were beginning to look uncomfortable as they watched the display, but Stride still remained silent.

Zero was internally pleading for this all to end. He wanted desperately to tell them what they wanted to know. To tell them that he had the Silver Soul, but he couldn't. The hand over his mouth kept him from speaking and Stride refused to talk.

By the time the last assault ended, Furno had hardly even cried out. His body was completely limp, only occasionally twitching as his body spasmed from residual electricity. His eyes were slightly glazed and half-lidded as he struggled to maintain some semblance of consciousness. His tail flame spluttered weakly, hardly any brighter than a small candle's flame.

"Enough of this!" Orion snarled; all sense of playfulness gone. "Tell us what we want to know, or we'll kill him!"

Zero gave muffled shriek at Orion's declaration. That couldn't happen! Stride wouldn't allow it! There's no way that the Pokémon that trained them and practically took care of them for months would just let his charge perish if he could prevent it!

But as Zero looked at the Greninja and his heart sank as he saw the ninja Pokémon close his eyes in resignation.

 _No…_

Orion looked at Stride incredulously; his mouth opening and closing, but no sound leaving him. After several seconds of just staring at the Greninja, his face schooled into a blank mask.

 _This can't be happening…_

"Man, I knew you were cold Stride, but damn." Orion sighed, scratching the back of his head. He then shrugged. "Fine then. If that's how it is…"

 _No…please no…_

Orion looked at Zero, meeting his tear-filled eyes. "Sorry, Zero. Looks like you're losing a friend today."

 _He can't… It can't end like this…_

Time seemed to slow to a Magcargo's pace. Orion slowly turned to Volt, his head slowly dipping in a nod of accent. At the same moment, a sickening smirk of pleasure began to stretch across the Raichu's face as they turned to Furno.

 _No, no, nonononononononononono…_

Furno opened a single eye, making eye contact with Zero. There was no emotion there, simply a blank, unreadable stare that pierced straight through Zero's heart.

 _No, not like this…_

Volt raised Furno up ever so higher as if making sure that everyone could see what was about to transpire.

 _It couldn't end like this…_

Orion's face remained impassive at he started at the scene, giving no indication that it would stop.

 _I won't let it end like this…_

Volt's cheeks began to spark as they began to build up power.

 _I have to protect him._

Around them, the resistance members were all shouting in denial. Futility attempting to cease what was about to occur.

 _I will protect him._

Volt's grin became downright sinister, the build up electricity reaching its peak.

 _Protect…Furno…_

Stride turned his head, unwilling to look at either of his charges.

 _Protect… Destroy…_

And everything went black for Zero.

-Resistance-

Just as Volt was about to unleash her final burst of electricity to end the Monferno in her grip, she froze. Everyone did.

The arid wind stopped without warning. The burning sun seemed to lose some of its heat. An unexplained feeling of unease settled over everyone assembled.

"What…is this?" Volt asked, the electricity dissipating from her cheeks.

"I don't know," the Arcanine said, shifting anxiously on his paws.

Orion looked around, appearing just as apprehensive as everyone else. His eyes then widened in realization, his gaze snapping towards Wisp and the Riolu in their grip. Said Riolu appeared to have lost consciousness, his body limp, his head lolled to the side, and his eyes were shut tight.

Slowly, almost in a deliberate motion, Zero's head lifted back up, his eyes still closed tightly. Wisp seemed to also sense something off, as their singular eye widened and they tried to let go of the Riolu before his eyes snapped open and an unseen force blasted everyone away.

Orion managed to land on his feet, staggering slightly under the force of the blast. Both soldiers and resistance members alike had been caught up in the blast, their forms now strewn across the red sands. The only one who seemed to have been spared from the blast was Furno's unconscious form, Volt having lost her grip when she was sent flying. The fire-fighting type's prone form now laid behind Zero, who was now standing on his own power, his head slightly bowed.

"What the hell…?" the Typhlosion asked in confusion. "What's going—"

The fire type stumbled over his words as Zero began to glow. A languid, fire-like, silver light began to encompass the Riolu, seemingly seeping from his very fur. Once again, Zero raised his head, his eyes now wide open, and Orion saw…

…That his eyes were bright silver.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Wrath of the Soul

No one spoke. No one moved. Hardly anyone dared breathe. Resistance members and soldiers alike could only stare in awe at the sight before them. The Riolu, the _child_ that, up until that point, had seemed helpless or insignificant, now stood tall over his unconscious friend. The odd silvery fire that suddenly encompassed him burned like a beacon in the slowly dying light of the desert. His eyes, like the light that surrounded him, burned just as brightly, yet held no warmth.

The Riolu exuded an almost palpable pressure, nearly threatening to crush them into the red sand. Slowly, in an almost listless move, Zero turned his head, observing the group with his odd, silver eyes. What was more unnerving, was the emptiness within his silver orbs. They were blank, devoid of any emotion or cognition.

"This is it," Stride murmured, breaking the silence. "The Silver Soul…"

Orion's surprised look faded at Stride's words. "Impossible," he snarled, brow furrowing in annoyance. "The Silver Soul is a myth!"

"Use your eyes, Orion!" Stride snapped. "What else could it be?!"

"I don't know and I don't care! Nothing has changed!" Orion turned to his teammates. "What the hell are you lot standing there for?! We have a job to do!"

Orion's teammates looked uncertain, eyeing the glowing Riolu warily. When none of them made to move towards the Riolu, Orion grew annoyed. "What are you waiting for?! He's just a child! Get over there and—" Orion's next words never left his mouth as, at that moment, Zero's eyes snapped towards him. In a moment, Zero seemed to disappear from his spot and reappear directly in front of Orion. The Lucario only had time to bring up his arm up to defend himself before Zero threw a punch.

Orion grunted in pain at the sudden impact, having brought up his paw to catch the Riolu's punch, before groaning when the pain hit. Orion stumbled back; the bones in his paw vibrating from the Riolu's single punch. The blow itself didn't hurt the Lucario that much compared to some of the other Pokémon he's fought, but it seemed to leave his paw with a burning sensation. Glancing down, the aura Pokémon's eyes widened as he saw wisps of the silver fire clinging to his palm. Exactly where Zero had made contact.

"What…?" Orion didn't get the chance to fully comprehend what was occurring before Zero leapt into the air and delivered a harsh kick to the side of Orion's head, sending the Lucario crashing to the ground several yards away.

Once more, shock overtook the assembled group, their collective gaze split between the Riolu and the downed Lucario. In just a matter of seconds, the ex-resistance member had been struck twice before he could even react by a child of all things. It was simply inconceivable.

From his spot in the sand, Orion groaned. Pushing himself onto his elbows, Orion stared at the Riolu, the odd flame on his paw and the new one on his temple momentarily forgotten. A myriad of emotions filtered across his face, the most prominent being confusion, denial, anger, and a hint of fear. Zero just continued to stare at his evolution, his face remaining unexpressive. His eyes seemingly burning through the Lucario's soul.

Gritting his teeth, Orion hardened his expression. He glared at the stoic Riolu before shifting his gaze to the other soldiers. "Get him!"

The Lucario's shout seemed to rouse his fellow soldiers from their stupor. While many of them still looked unsure, most likely due to how quick the Riolu was in dispatching the Lucario, but Orion's team acted. At once, Undine, Volt, Scorch, and Wisp lunged at the Riolu from all sides in a pincer-like formation. Zero's gaze never left the Lucario, even as the other three soldiers closed in on him, until the last moment when his impassive expression broke, shifting into a feral snarl.

Then he roared.

Immediately, everyone present was forced to cover their ears as the ear-splitting sound. The very air seemed to be distorted by the feral cry as if the Riolu was using Screech, the sand rippling under Zero's shout. Then, just as quickly as it started, the scream ceased bathing the area in silence once more. However, before the soldiers could recover, Zero struck.

Moving just as quickly as he did when attacking Orion, Zero seemingly appeared before the Arcanine. The comparatively massive fire type stared down at the Riolu, his eyes widening in surprise before he was smashed into the sand by a sharp chop to his head.

Roaring in pain, Scorch got back to his feet. He glared hatefully at the Riolu, whose feral glare matched his. Flames burned behind clenched teeth as the Legendary Pokémon prepared to unleash a blast of fire, but just as he began to open his mouth, he was struck again. Flames dissipating, Scorch crashed to the ground, softly groaning.

Zero stared at the prone Arcanine a second longer before leaping away as a torrent of water and a bolt of electricity shot towards him. Hardly pausing to land, Zero shot towards his attackers, focusing on the Vaporeon. Said water type's hackles rose in defiance as she dodged the Riolu's initial strike. Her eyes widened minutely as the sand exploded upward in a large pillar, but she refused to let that deter. Inhaling deeply, the Bubble Jet Pokémon released a large frigid beam of energy that froze the pillar of sand solid before gravity could take hold of it.

Landing lightly on her feet, the Vaporeon smirked at the pillar of opaque ice. She turned her smug expression to Orion, who was still recovering from the blows he had received. "Ha! That wasn't so—" A sharp snap cut through Undine's words, causing her to freeze.

Numerous cracks shot up the frozen pillar, the entire structure creaking ominously before splintering into numerous pieces. Before Undine could react, she felt small, furry fingers curl around her throat. With a choked cry, the Vaporeon was lifted into the air and slammed into the sand with enough force to push the air out of her lungs.

Dazed, Undine struggled weakly against the Riolu's tightening grip. Her eyes met the Riolu's and felt ice grip her heart. Where once, his gaze was blank, Zero's eyes burned with a type of wild fury that the Undine had never experienced before. His mouth was pulled into a vicious snarl, his canines bared in a permanent growl.

The Riolu's grip tightened, causing Undine to choke. Her struggles picked up, her heartrate spiking. Genuine fear gripped her like a frigid claw. Despite her struggles, the child's grip only tightened, burning pain surrounding her throat as whatever energy that surrounded the young Emanation Pokémon burned her neck. She gaped, trying to get air, but the Riolu didn't relent.

The Riolu…he wasn't the child from before. No, not anymore. In its place was a monster and Undine was sure that that this monster was going to kill her.

Just as the edges of her vision began to blacken, Volt joined the fray. With a wild gleam in his eye, he shot forward, a white light encompassing his body, increasing his speed. Just as the large mouse was about to strike, Zero released the Vaporeon, spun around, and kicked the Raichu away. With a pained cry, Volt managed to right himself and land on all fours. With a growl, he lifted his head to glare at the impudent child that had just attacked him, only to balk when said child was right in front of him.

The Riolu growled wildly, his teeth bared into a snarl. A spark of recognition flickered within the Riolu's eyes and his growl became more menacing, his eyes flashing wildly. With a roar, Zero lunged forward, forcing Volt to jump back. Gritting his teeth, Volt unleashed a point-blank Thunderbolt at Riolu as he struck the ground, the ensuing light and explosion, obscuring his vision. Not even a second passed before Zero burst from the smoke, appearing unfazed by the attack, and punched the startled Raichu in the stomach.

Coughing violently, the Mouse Pokémon felt his feet leave the ground, his entire body lifted into the air from the force of Zero's punch. Hardly able to regain his bearings, Volt cried out in pain as a sharp pain shot through his lower back. Zero, just as Volt had begun to ascend from the force of the blow he had received, had managed to grab the Raichu's wire-like tail, completely stopping Volt's momentum. With a roar, Zero slammed the Raichu into the ground.

Volt cried out in pain, hardly able to breath and unable to move. Zero growled lowly, moving to continue his attack on the downed Pokémon. Before he could attack, however, a sphere of dark energy exploded against his back.

Zero stumbled slightly, but remained standing. Straightening, Zero turned towards Wisp, a growl on his lips. Wisp, took a step back, fear shooting through them as the wild glare focused on them. However, their fear was quick to pass as a thought occurred to them. The Riolu had simply been throwing punches. Simple attacks like that would do nothing to a ghost type. They were perfectly safe. The ghost type's thoughts came to a crashing halt as the Riolu was suddenly in front of them, his arm knocked back in preparation for a punch.

Their single eye widened as they instinctively moved backwards, but was unable to move out of the way of the punch heading towards them. The Beckon Pokémon only had time to think of how futile the Riolu's attempt at punching a ghost type before they felt the harsh impact.

Their single eye widened momentarily, their mind struggling to comprehend what had happened. It wasn't an attack. The Riolu hadn't used a move. He had simply punched the Dusclops. The attack shouldn't have even been able to _touch_ them! What was—?

Everything stopped. Wisp's eyes contracted; their mind blank.

Then he screamed.

Wisp fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, writhing in pain. The odd light that stuck to wherever Zero touched, burning almost more violently on Wisp than their fellow soldiers. Upon closer inspection, visible lines, stemming from the odd light, spread a short distance across their body, almost as if they were cracks in his body.

Wisp's screams soon died down, turning to ragged pants as their struggled to stand. Just being touched by the Riolu had caused a startling amount of pain. Their entire body shivered violently against their will; their very being, the bits and pieces that made up their body, was struggling to stay together. It was like a single punch from the fighting type was enough to cause his very being to fall apart!

Wisp's single eye narrowed in fury up at the Riolu, who had lost his almost feral expression, reverting to the passive state he had been in at the beginning. Around the Riolu, the other members of Orion's team were beginning to get to their feet, all of them wearing murderous looks on their faces. Without a single word being uttered between them, they all charged at the Riolu.

Zero didn't react to the four soldiers closed in on him at first. He simple stood there; staring straight ahead with his empty gaze. It was only when the four of them were moments away from striking him that he moved. Moving faster than any of the soldiers could react, Zero crossed his arms across his chest before throwing them outward with a loud shout. Immediately, the silvery aura that surrounded him pulsed and flared ferociously. In the next moment, it erupted outward, reminiscent of Zero's Vacuum Wave, but on a much grander scale, completely engulfing Zero's attackers in silver light.

All this happened in the span of a single second. In the next, Undine, Volt, Scorch, and Wisp were all flung across the sand, seemingly unconscious. Around them, the spectators stared in shock at what had just transpired.

"Wh-What's going on?" the Typhlosion demanded, eyes blown wide with fear and shock. "How is this happening, Orion?!"

"I don't know!" Orion snapped angrily. This wasn't going at all like he had planned. It was supposed to be a simple mission. Destroy the Groudon Division, interrogate Stride, and kill him when he didn't give them answers. None of this was supposed to happen!

Orion grit his teeth. His burning eyes focused on Zero, the cause of all this. The little upstart just had to sit there and be silent and he would have been perfectly fine. Instead, he had to go and awaken…whatever the hell this was!

Orion's own aura flared, a deep blue, almost purple color. A long bone appeared in his paw. Silver Soul or not, the little brat would not stand in his way!

Orion shot forward with staff in hand. With a silent growl, he swung his Bone Rush at the Riolu, seeking to knock him out before he could do any more damage, but he never got the chance. Just as the attack was about to make contact, his attack was suddenly stopped. Orion couldn't even begin to hold back his shock as he stared down at the Riolu that was holding his Bone Rush attack.

Zero turned his head to looked at Orion, his expression slowly shifting from blank to a deadly snarl. Orion would never admit it, but he started shaking under the intensity of the look. His grip on his weapon slackened and he took an involuntary step back. Before he even realized what was happening, a heavy blow and sent him sprawling across the sand.

Coughing, Orion pushed himself onto his elbows, staring up in horror at the encroaching Riolu. "What…are you?"

Zero didn't respond. He simply raised his paw towards the Lucario. The swirling silver light surrounding Zero slowly began to slither towards his outstretched paw, coalescing into a small orb of aura. Seeing this, Orion's eyes, if possible, widened even further as he recognized the attack.

"Aura Sphere…but that's impossible!"

Zero just snarled in response. He was about to unleash his attack, to eradicate the Pokémon before him. Just as he was about to do so and fire his attack, a Shadow Ball shot towards him, impacting against the silver sphere, causing both attacks to detonate.

Zero cried out in pain, thrown backwards by the explosion. He collapsed to the ground, but he quickly returned to his feet. Pain lanced through his paw, cutting through the fog that clouded the Riolu's mind. For a moment, he wondered where he was and what was going on, then he saw Wisp, his attacker.

Immediately, fury surrounded the young Riolu's mind, sending his consciousness back into the recesses of his mind, leaving fury in its wake. With an animalistic roar, Zero rushed towards the Dusclops, the aura around his paws morphing to form sharp claws, the silvery light becoming more opaque.

Wisp startled, stepping backwards at the sudden burst of movement. Narrowing their eye, they shot a shadow encased punch towards the emanation Pokémon, forcing the Riolu to abandon his charge in order to avoid the attack. Smirking, Wisp flicked their hand to the side, causing the shadowy fist to make a U-turn, once more heading straight towards Zero. Sensing the attack, Zero dodged again, but Wisp just moved their hand again, causing their attack to change course.

"Running is futile against my Shadow Punch!" Wisp boasted; his earlier fear forgotten. "I can control the direction it takes and the attack won't stop until it hits you! Even if there is a mountain in its way, you won't esc—"

After moving out of the way of the fist for the fourth time, seemingly annoyed, Zero spun around and slashed at the attack with his ethereal claws. There was a sharp hiss before the shadows burst like a balloon, wisps of dark energy fluttering towards the ground before dispersing like smoke.

"Wha—" Wisp didn't even get the chance fully react before Zero was upon him once again.

Wisp screeched in agony as Zero's silver claws wrenched through their body, leaving glowing claw marks across their stomach. More jagged lines appeared on their body, almost completely encompassing them. A dark, smoke-like mist began to pour from the claw marks. They fell to their knees, hands braced against the sand. There was no mistaking it now, their body was vibrating, shifting in various directions before coming back together. This repeated several times.

Still shifting, Wisp looked up at the Riolu that was now standing before them. One fear addled red eye met blank yet burning silver. Slowly, Zero raised his paw, a sphere of silver light beginning to coalesce into a familiar sphere. Raspy pants filtered out from the ghost type's as they struggled to maintain a hold on their form. Frantically, their eye swiveled to Orion, a desperate gleam in their eye.

"Please! Orion! Help me!" they shouted desperately; reaching out a shifting hand towards Orion.

The Lucario in question physically recoiled, his eyes darting between Wisp and Zero. Steeling his expression, he turned to his fellow soldiers. "We're leaving."

"What?!" the Typhlosion exclaimed. "We're just leaving?! What about our task?!"

"Our task was to bring down the Groudon Division and garner information regarding the Silver Soul." Orion cast another glance at the Riolu. "And we have completed both of those tasks."

"O-Orion?" Wisp questioned.

The Lucario didn't even bother looking at the Beacon Pokémon. He addressed the rest of the assembled soldiers. "We're moving out! Quickly, while we still can!"

"Orion, PLEASE!" Wisp screamed in desperation. They tried to crawl towards him, but they collapsed, their entire body shifting violently. "Don't leave me!"

Without so much as a passing glance towards their 'ally', the group of soldiers all fled across the desert. Orion paused only long enough to send one last hateful glare towards Stride (though it was ignored as the Greninja was watching the battle fixatedly) before turning tail and running, leaving Wisp to their fate.

Despair fell upon Wisp like a boulder, their outstretched hand falling limply onto the sand. They had left them. Left them to die. Empty red eyes looked up at their executioner. They couldn't move, they couldn't fight. They could only remain still and watch as the Riolu unleashed his attack; the blinding light of the ensuing explosion being the last thing that they saw.

-Resistance-

Stride swallowed thickly; his mouth rather dry from the long explanation he had just given. Before him, the three members of the Tribunal sat in silence, digesting the events that had just heard.

"And after resistance member Zero unleashed his final attack, there was no trace of this Wisp character save for a few wisps of black smoke?" Regulus questioned.

"That is correct," Stride responded. "After that, Zero passed out and I returned with those the survived the siege. I believe the majority of them are still in the clinic. If you wish, I'm sure they could confirm what I have told you."

"There is no need," Regulus said with a dismissive wave. "We have already conferred with those that returned from the Groudon Division, including your other protégé, Furno. Their stories do seem to match your own…"

"This…can't be real," Roman said in disbelief.

"It is very real," Stride confirmed. "It is as I said, the Silver Soul exists within Zero."

"This is impossible. I can't believe this!" Roman shouted, banging his clawed fist against the table before him. "The Silver Soul is just a myth!"

"Then how do you explain the corroborating statements of those that witnessed the events?" Katherine questioned. "Three others confirmed everything that Stride has told us. Including the fate of the Dusclops, Wisp."

"It could have been some kind of technique!" Roman argued. "From what they described, it could have easily have been Final Gambit!"

"Final Gambit does not cause a silver aura to surround the user nor allow a Pokémon to damage a ghost type without using a move."

Roman growled; his expression mutinous, but he was unable to come up with any way to refute his fellow Tribunal member. "Fine!" he snapped. "Let's say we believe that this… _child_ possesses the prophesized power said to be the key to defeating a 'Great Darkness', what do we do now?"

"We finally start fighting back," Stride stated.

"Start fighting back?" Roman repeated, appearing to be taken aback. His confusion soon turned to anger as he roared at the Greninja. "We have been doing nothing but fight back for decades!"

"No, we have been surviving," Stride refuted calmly. "We haven't initiated in conflict with the Emperor's forces in years, we have only responded to their attacks. It is no secret that we have been losing territory and the attack on the Groudon Division is proof that the Emperor is growing bolder in their attacks. With the Silver Soul, we finally have the means to take back Lyore!"

"Do you intend to send a child to fight our battle?!" Katherine asked, alarmed by the Greninja's insinuation.

"Of course not. At least…not right away," Stride answered. "As he is now, Zero has little to no control over the Silver Soul. He will need to train the ability if we wish to win this war."

"We can't just pin all our hopes on one child!" Roman argued.

"That child is our only chance at survival!" Stride shouted back. "We've been fighting a losing battle for years now! Now matter how many recruits we get, or how long we hold the few territories we currently have, that fact will always remain. We _need_ the Silver Soul if we want to have any hope of winning this war!"

Roman growled dangerously, his claws digging into the table as he struggled not to lose his temper. He might have failed in this task had Regulus not reached over and placed a calming hand on the dragon's shoulder.

"Calm yourself Roman. There is no reason to get worked up. Regardless of whether or not the Silver Soul will end this conflict, it is undeniably a useful asset." The Haxorus grumbled incoherently, but seemed to calm down, though he was openly glaring at the Greninja.

"What I wish to know is what exactly this Silver Soul is," Katherine mused. "The increase of power can be overlooked, as several known moves are able to do the same thing, but the effects it had on Wisp…"

Regulus interlaced his fingers in contemplation. "Hmm… The Silver Soul. A soul as pure and pristine as silver…"

"Regulus?" Katherine questioned.

Regulus frowned in thought. "There are many theories onto how ghost types came into being. While it is true that ghost types require some vestiges of sleep, food, water, and air, the amount they require varies from ghost type to ghost type, but it is still less than any other known type. Because of this, it is suspected that they possess a different physiology than other Pokémon, however, due to their body's rate of decomposition, there have been no extensive autopsies on a ghost type. That's not even including the fact that some ghost types simply fade away when they die."

"But Dusclops are not known to simply fade with they pass," Katherine pointed out. "Do you believe that this ability has something to do with how Wisp passed."

"I do," Regulus confirmed. "One of the theories that I mentioned is that ghost types are the amalgamations of a dying Pokémon's last wish, personal grudges that transcend even death, or even an undying will to live. In other words, it is believed that ghost types are the souls of the fallen."

"So what?" Roman questioned.

"I believe, that whatever this power is, it targets a victim's very soul and damages it," Regulus answered.

"It…targets a Pokémon's soul?" Katherine asked, eyes wide in surprise.

"I had a similar thought," Stride said. "It would make sense that a ghost type, a theorized entity comprised entirely of a soul energy, or aura, if you are to believe the teachings of past Lucario, it would make since that the power of the Silver Soul would be highly effective against ghost types."

"And the rumors that the Emperor is in fact a ghost type…" Katherine began.

"It would mean that Zero is our best chance at defeating the Emperor," Stride finished. "And for that reason…he needs to be trained."

As the quartet continued to converse, the subject of their discussion slept on, oblivious to the plans being made around him on both sides.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Breaking Point

It had been a rather rough couple of weeks for Zero. After he had woken up, three days after returning from what was once the Groudon Division, he had been met with the news that he would begin training with Stride immediately. Dr. Kuren and Stella both had tried to rescind the order, claiming the young Riolu needed rest after what he had endured, but the order came straight from the Tribunal. There was no getting around it.

So, still sore and tired, Zero was thrown into more of Stride's brutal training, if it could even be called that. Unlike what he would normally do with Monty or his team, or Stride when he and Furno first joined the Resistance, Zero did nothing but spar. He wasn't learning any new techniques or mastering those he already knew. He wasn't increasing his strength or speed. It was just combat.

Stride held nothing back as he ruthlessly beat Zero into the dirt, believing that, if pushed hard enough, Zero would unlock the Silver Soul once more, but, so far, there efforts were in vain. All Zero gained were bruises and even more fatigue.

While he may have been a fighting type, and the desire to train and become as strong as possible burned in his blood, he was reaching his limit. All he did was train with Stride. That's all he was given time to do. He even had to stop his talks with Stella so he could train even more.

Zero chuckled darkly, at least he stopped having nightmares. During the few times he actually could sleep, he was far too exhausted to even dream.

With a sigh, Zero allowed himself to sink in the chair, allowing some of the soreness to filter out of his body. He really tried, desperately so, but no matter what he did, he couldn't call up the power that he had displayed several days prior. He tried to channel his anger over Orion turning out to be a traitor, his distress that the Groudon Division and many of its members fell, even the fear he felt when the Beedrill killed him back at the temple, but nothing worked. He was no closer to unlocking his supposed power.

What's more is that he was forbidden to leave the Latios Division. The Tribunal felt that, as the wielder of the Silver Soul, regardless the supposed prophecy surrounding it, he was an asset. An asset that they couldn't risk falling into the hands. As such, while he was still technically the leader of Team Dawn Breaker, he was 'benched' until further notice (ie: when he had full control of the Silver Soul).

Everyday he was forced to watch his team and friends leave each day to help other Pokémon while he had to remain behind. He tried to put on a brave face for his team, telling them that everything was alright and that he was making progress, but he was tired. Not just physically, but mentally he was tired of the constant training with no breaks. Most of all, he was tired of the lack of progress he was making.

Everyone was counting on him to use this power, but he had no idea how to even go about activating it let alone controlling it. He was letting everyone down and it was eating him up inside.

Zero closed his eyes as he sank into temporary bliss. Arceus he was tired. Blearily, he stared up at the ceiling waiting or Stride to once more call him to train. Judging by the glow of the stone torches, it was about late afternoon edging on evening. His team should be heading back anytime soon…

"We're back!"

Speaking of Giratina…

Cracking an eye open at the door, Zero took a quick, imperceptible breath and put on a bright smile. "Hey guys. How was the mission?"

"Easy," Furno grumbled, entering the room first and collapsing onto one of the couches across from Zero, not meeting the Riolu's eyes.

"For you maybe," Bogran grumbled, sitting down as well. "That place was full of grass types!"

"Like I said, easy," Furno grunted, though there was a hint of amusement coloring his voice.

A small genuine smile worked its way onto Zero's face at seeing a piece, albeit it a small one, of his old friend peek through the bubbling anger and annoyance. It was refreshing to know that, even when everything was warping and twisting around, some things remained the same.

"So, how've you been, Zero?" Weiss questioned, taking a seat next to Bogran, Noelle scurrying to sit next to her. "Has training been getting better?"

"I mean…yeah," Zero fibbed, giving the Absol a closed-eye smile. "I haven't made a whole lot of progress with the Silver Soul, but I'm getting stronger."

"That's good at least," Weiss commented. Zero kept the smile up and his eyes closed. He knew full well that the off colored Absol was looking for any trace of distress or weakness in him. Zero was well aware Weiss didn't buy Zero's words, but she couldn't call him out on it unless he cracked and he refused to do so. He couldn't.

"It's still surreal to know that _you_ have the Silver Soul," Quill said in amazement. "It's incredible! It's like fate that Stride found you and everything."

"Yeah…fate," Zero said, trying to sound enthused. He still questioned the decision to make the knowledge of the Silver Soul public. Then again, several members had already witnessed Zero…glowing, as did several soldiers, but still. It just put more pressure on him to succeed.

Bella gave a hollow chur, floating over Zero's head; tilting her head in concern. Zero just smiled at the ghost type, hoping it doesn't look as hollow as he felt. It clearly didn't work as Bella just appeared even more concerned.

"Anyone heard from Maggie?" Zero asked, trying to change the subject.

"She's doing well apparently," Weiss answered. "She's one of the best recruits."

"That's good," Zero said, only half listening. He could feel the respective gazes of Weiss, Bella, and even Dusty. Observing him with calculating and worried eyes. He just ignored them and continued to smile.

"So, when do you think you'll be back on missions?" Bogran asked innocently.

Zero froze; his smile slipping for a fraction of a second. "I don't know. I think the Tribunal wants me to have at least a basic understanding and control of the Silver Soul before the let me go out again."

"Aw man. That sucks," Bogran pouted before smiling. "Though, it'll be exciting when that happens. You'll be our best weapon against the Emperor!"

Zero's smile became rather fixed. "Yeah…"

Furno gave a disinterested grunt and got to his feet. "I'm going to check the market. See if there's anything of interest there." Without even waiting for a response, Furno walked towards the door. Just as he was about to leave, the door opened, revealing Stride.

The Greninja appeared slightly surprised at seeing the Monferno before him, but nodded his head in greeting. "Furno."

The playful Pokémon just gave a noncommittal grunt before stalking past the ninja Pokémon. Blinking in confusion, Stride shook his head and addressed Zero. "Come on. We need to train."

Zero was almost certain his smile looked pained at that moment, but he refused to stop. "Alright." With a barely withheld groan as his muscles protested, he got to his feet. Ignoring his desire to simple curl up and sleep, he followed the Greninja out, ignoring the concerned stares at his back.

-Resistance-

Zero was both wary and confused when, upon reaching the training center, there was someone waiting for the two of them. While it wasn't uncommon for there to be multiple Pokémon training or otherwise exercising within Monty's domain, but Stride had taken to 'renting out' the facilities, kicking even Monty out under the apparent orders of the tribunal. So, seeing someone else there for a change was certainly odd.

The figure was male and was incredibly tall, about a head or so taller than Stride and distinctly vulpine. He had dark, smoke-gray fur with an almost black furred crest. He had a bloody red mane that was pulled into a ponytail and three sharp and equally red claws on both their paws and feet. Pointed fangs peaked out from red stained lips.

"Ah, Loki. Good of you to make it," Stride said as he approached.

Stride," the figure- _Loki_ \- greeted the Greninja. He then glanced at Zero, causing the Riolu to shiver as piercing blue orbs locked onto his. "Is this the kid then?"

"It is," Stride confirmed, pushing the Riolu forward. "This is Zero. Zero, this is Loki. He will be assisting in your training today."

"Assisting how?" Zero asked, carefully eyeing the foxlike figure.

"I'm glad you asked," Stride said, a maniacal gleam in his eye. "Up until now, I have been pushing you to your limits in hopes that it would trigger the Silver Soul. This, as you know, has garnered very poor results."

Zero wasn't sure if Stride meant to do it, but the Riolu couldn't help but feel that the Greninja's disappointed tone was meant to incite guilt. Like it was Zero's fault for his lack of progress.

Zero ducked his head, shame coloring his cheeks.

Stride eyed the Riolu for a moment longer before he continued. "However, it is my belief that this is due to circumstances not being dire enough to incur a 'fight or flight' reaction."

Zero's eyes narrowed. He most definitely didn't like the direction the conversation was going.

"Unlike the incident with Orion, in our training sessions, there is no true danger. Even when you are on the ground and I continue to attack, you know subconsciously that I would never do any permanent harm to you."

"So, you're going to have me fight him, because he won't hold back like you?" Zero asked in worry.

Loki snorted derisively before speaking in a deep almost ragged voice. "Of course not. You're far too much of an asset to risk permanent harm. Besides, the Tribunal would have my hide if I even tried." He shrugged. "That is, if Stride left them anything to skin once he was done with me."

"Then, what are we going to be doing?" Zero questioned. He tried to look eager to do more training, but he couldn't shake the odd feeling of unease that was settling over him.

"You see kid, I'm what you would call a Zoroark," Loki explained. "My kind are proficient in creating illusions."

"Illusions?" Zero questioned.

Instead of answering, Loki smirked before a brilliant purple light engulfed him. When the light died, standing in place of the monster fox Pokémon was a Riolu and not just any Riolu. He looked like an exact replica of Zero.

"Wha-What? How?!" Zero was at a loss. As far as he knew, Ditto were the only Pokémon able to transform into other Pokémon!

"This isn't Transform, if that's what you're thinking," Zero's replica said, causing Zero to shiver from listening to his own voice. The false Riolu then reached out their paw as if to touch Zero's shoulder and Zero jumped at the sudden contact.

Loki was standing a good foot away, nowhere near close enough to actually touch Zero, yet the Riolu felt a distinctly clawed limb just touch his shoulder.

"Like I said, it's just an illusion," Loki said, his voice returning to its previous tone. Once more, a purple light engulfed Loki, returning to his previous state. "Despite looking like you, it's still my body underneath the guise."

"Okay…" Zero said. He was impressed, sure, but he didn't exactly understand why Loki was pertinent to his training.

"Zoroark can do more than just imitate other Pokémon," Stride suddenly said, seemingly reading Zero's thoughts. "Those strong enough are even able to warp their surroundings to the point that everything within feels real. That's why Loki is here. He's going to put you in a situation that will hopefully trigger the Silver Soul."

Zero didn't even get a chance to respond. Stride shot a quick glance at Loki and nodded. Loki mimicked the action before turning to Zero. Before the Riolu could question what was happening, Loki's eyes flashed and everything went black.

Zero gasped, taking a step back, nearly collapsing as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. An endless black void, expanding in all directions pressed in on him from all sides. It was completely empty, yet Zero couldn't help but feel claustrophobic. Then, just as quickly as it happened, color returned.

Where once he stood in the bare and worn chamber of the Latios Division's training facility was something different. Soft grass tickled his feet. A cool breeze ruffled through his fur. The sharp scent of crisp air and foliage reached his nose. He was in a forest.

"Whoa," Zero gaped in amazement. It was…so real.

He wandered over to one of the trees and pulled off one of the leaves. "It feels so real," he commented as he felt the rough texture of the leaf. It was slightly brittle and the color was slightly brown. It must have been fall in whatever environment he had been sent—

Zero froze, his heart skipping a beat.

He heard it. The buzzing.

The leaf fell out of his paw.

The trees. The smell. The sounds. He knew this place.

The buzzing grew louder.

Zero's breathing became shallow and more ragged. His heart beat at a bruising pace. His vision became tunneled, focused solely on the location the buzzing was coming from.

 _They didn't…they wouldn't send me there…_

Slowly, as if emerging from the shadows themselves, a lone Beedrill exited the foliage and Zero's heart stopped.

Zero took an involuntary step back. His eyes were blown upon wide, his pupils shrinking into dots. _Nononononono…_

The poison bee Pokémon hovered menacingly, its red eyes boring holes through Zero. Steadily, the Pokémon began to advance.

Zero forgot how to breath. He didn't realize he was still moving backwards until his back met gnarled wood. _This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real._

The Beedrill, still advancing, raised its stingers. This bone white tips were stained red, fresh with blood. Zero's blood.

 _This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real._ Zero repeated this mantra over and over again, but he couldn't believe it.

The Beedrill was directly in front of Zero, close enough that the young fighting type could feel the bug-poison type's breath against his fur. It lifted its stinger, resting the point directly over Zero's heart.

 _It's going to kill me,_ Zero thought.

The Beedrill reared back its arm, preparing to strike at Zero's heart.

 _It's going to kill me…again!_

That was Zero's last thought before the Beedrill struck.

-Resistance-

Furno did his best to hide his sneer as he browsed the goods offered at the Kecleon brothers' store. Specifically, their stock of berries which, for the Monferno, was lacking a certain type.

"Seriously? No chesto berries?" he grumbled aloud.

"Sorry," on of the Kecleon, the green one, spoke to the Monferno. "We had a team raid our entire stock. Apparently, they're going to Misty Meadow, a dungeon known for their spore-happy grass types. We do have some sitrus berries in stock if you'd like to look at them."

"No thanks," Furno grumbled, moving to leave the store.

"Are you sure? We have many items that could be useful for any dungeon crawling you or your team might do—"

"I said, 'no thanks'!" Furno snapped, not caring that he was being rude. Ignoring the spluttering color swap Pokémon, the fire-fighting type stomped out of the market. Once outside, he sighed. "Geez. What the hell am I going to do now?"

Furno was a in a real bind. His stash of chesto berries were running dangerously low and he had no idea when he would be able to get anymore. While there were other items that served the same purpose, but they were too expensive. The team would surely notice if a more significant portion of their funds went missing periodically. He was already pushing it by using their funds to by chesto berries. He couldn't take any more than he already was.

Had he not been in public, Furno would have set something on fire in frustration. Without a steady supply of chesto berries he would once more be forced to face his nightmares once more.

Furno's fists clenched, his heart thudding a bit harder in his chest. Those images…the Beedrill. Zero on the ground. All the blood…

"No!" Furno shouted, startling several Pokémon as they passed by. Ignoring their glares, Furno shook his head. He couldn't…he _wouldn't_ deal with those dreams anymore!

The chesto berries had been his saving grace after returning from the temple. At the time, things had been so hectic that he supposed his mind was exhausted to even begin to form nightmares, but, when they had returned, they struck with full force. He could never sleep for more than a few minutes before he was plagued by nightmares; images of Zero being brutally murdered before his eyes. He just couldn't bear to experience it again.

So, he turned to chesto berries. The blue and yellow fruit contained an almost obscene amount of both sugar and caffeine, making in an excellent drink ingredient for those trying to wake up in the morning. When eaten raw, however, it was like a shot of adrenaline; capable of instantly waking a Pokémon up from even the deepest of sleep. Of course, the berries infallible. They didn't exactly replenish energy meaning that, while able to keep someone awake, the consumer would still feel physical and mental fatigue.

It was difficult for the fire-fighting type to do even the most basic of tasks. He often found himself stumbling around, his vision occasionally becoming disorienting. This off course made going out on missions rather difficult, but he liked to think he did a good job at keeping his composure, random bursts of irritation aside. Though, even he had to admit that the lack of sleep was debilitating, but he had no other option.

He tried those stupid therapy sessions, he truly and honestly did, but all they did was talk about his feelings and how he should 'let people in'. It was completely useless. The sessions were a complete waste of time and effort. That's why he quit going to them a week after they started. His time was much better spent training. If he had to choose between sleep deprivation and nightmares, he would choose the former.

Sighing once more, Furno allowed the tension to leave his body. Deciding it was not worth getting worked up over the lack of berries, Furno just cut his losses and head down to the mess hall.

"Hey, Furno!"

The playful Pokémon paused. Turning around, he was surprised to see Ducky, Zeke, Brooke, and Glenda walking towards him. Upon reaching him, the Psyduck gave a beaked smile. "Hey, Furno! It's been a while. I almost didn't recognize you."

"Well, I did evolve," Furno said, doing his best to keep his annoyance out of his voice.

"I can see that," Ducky said appreciatively, looking Furno up and down. "You look a lot stronger than last time we saw you."

"I'd hope so," Furno responded.

The Psyduck paused, his eyes suddenly narrowing at the Monferno, specifically looking at his eyes. "You seem…pale. Are you alright, Furno?"

Furno Barely withheld a grimace. The paste that he had been applying to his face was, unfortunately, a shade lighter than his actual skin tone. The paste was an amazing find on Furno's part. There was a Smeargle in the Latios Division that liked to make something she liked to call 'make-up' using a mixture of berries and the odd ink that her species secreted. After getting over his disgust, Furno found the mixture incredibly useful in hiding the dark circles around his eyes. It was especially helpful when trying to hide away from nosy Pokémon like Weiss. However, as Ducky pointed out, the substance made him look paler than most of his species.

"It's nothing," Furno said dismissively, making sure not to meet the Psyduck's gaze.

"Ah, lay off him, Ducky," Brooke interjected when it looked like Ducky was going to press the issue. The Sudowoodo grinned widely at Furno. "Afterall," she continued, "things must be hectic now that Zero has the Silver Soul."

Furno's smile became rather fixed at that comment.

"That's not really surprising," Glenda commented sympathetically. "I mean can you imagine finding out you have this mythical power. There must be so much stress on the poor guy."

"Yeah, but Zero's tough!" Zeke argued. "You remember how he stood up to Briar? There's no way something like this would keep him down!"

Furno ground his teeth behind his lips, trying desperately not to display his growing annoyance.

"True, but you can't deny the burden he now carries," Ducky said, finally turning away from Furno. "He now carries the metaphorical weight of the world on his shoulder. If the rumors are true, there is a prophecy involving him and the Emperor. He could very well be what we need to win this Arceus forsaken war."

"He could be the one who saves us all," Brooke added.

"He must be so strong now," Zeke said, almost wistfully.

Behind him, Furno's tail flame spluttered furiously, thankfully out of view of the others. An angry veil had begun to descend over the Monferno's mind and a familiar deep, burning pit was forming in his stomach. The playful Pokémon was so tired of everyone talking about how _Zero_ was their only hope. How _he_ was their savior. How _he_ was _so_ strong. How _he_ didn't need anybody anymore. How he didn't need Furno anymore…

"…Furno?" Ducky's concern laced voice cut through the haze.

"Huh?" Furno questioned, forcibly pulling out of his own thoughts.

"I asked if you were okay," Ducky repeated, genuine concern filling his gaze.

Furno opened his mouth to answer when a lance of pain cut through his mind, like a migraine that lasted only a second.

" _Someone, help!_ "

Furno gasped, stumbling in place. His mind reeling. That voice…

"Furno?" Ducky questioned.

Furno paid the Psyduck no mind, his gaze finding the hallway leading to the stairs descending to the lower levels. He knew that voice.

Suddenly, an invisible ripple rushed through the entire base. Everyone staggered, reeling from the unknown energy rushed through them. With it, a wave of what could only be described as pure fear gripped their minds before disappearing as soon as it came, leaving all but one individual confused.

"What the hell was that?!" Zeke exclaimed, clutching his head.

"Are we under attack?!" Brooke yelled fearfully.

Furno paid the other no mind, his gaze never wavering. Only one thought was going through his mind. "Zero." Ignoring the calls for him to stop, Furno rushed to the training center.

-Resistance-

When Furno made it to the training facility, it felt like he was stepping into a warzone. Craters littered the once pristine facility. Equipment was strewn everywhere, each piece warped and broken beyond repair. The very walls were heavily damaged; cracks spiderwebbing all the way up to the ceiling.

"What the hell?" Furno stared in horrified awe. "What the hell happened here?"

A low pained groan, startled the Monferno. Whirling around wildly, he was horrified to find a dark gray mass bleeding quite profusely. On instinct, Furno rushed to prone form, hands hovering over them, afraid to cause more damage to them.

"Are you alright?" Furno questioned, his eyes widening as he saw just how twisted and mangled their limbs appeared close up.

The figure coughed wetly, seemingly regaining consciousness. Slowly, they lifted a twisted arm, pointing towards the center of the room. "Over…there…" they wheezed before going limp, once more falling into unconsciousness.

Momentarily, forgetting about the unconscious Pokémon before him, Furno looked to where they had pointed, his eyes finding the largest, and deepest, crater in the room. Cautiously, Furno approached. Upon reaching the edge, he looked down and his heart sank as he saw the curled-up form laying within.

"ZERO!"

Not even thinking, Furno scrambled into the crater, nearly tripping in his haste to get to his friend. The Riolu appeared to be conscious and was sitting with his knees pulled tightly to his chest. His eyes were blown wide yet unfocused; his pupils bright silver. He gave no indication that he heard Furno's earlier cry. Upon reaching him, Furno immediately fell to his knees, eyes roaming over the Riolu for any notable injury. Seeing nothing at first glance, Furno made to touch Zero only to be thrown back by a blast of silver light.

"Gah!" Furno cried out, more out of surprise than actual pain. For a moment, he was frozen; his mind reeling from a feeling of intense fear that wasn't his own. It was only when he heard Zero's broken and desperate voice.

"Please…no more…make it stop…"

With a groan, Furno pushed himself to his knees and began to crawl to Zero. Once more, a flash of silvery light lashed out at him, attempting to push him back. Furno held firm, physically gripping the ground to keep himself from being thrown back. When he was close enough, Furno threw out his arms, his hands clasping Zero's shoulder.

"Zero!" Furno shouted desperately; willing his voice to reach his friend.

Just like that, the light faded. Zero's eyes returned to their normal crimson, though they appeared incredibly bloodshot. "Furno?" he asked, his voice sounding weak.

"Zero!" Furno exclaimed, nearly laughing in relief. "Are you alright?"

"Furno…?" Zero slurred once again. "What's going…" Before Zero could finish, he slumped forward into Furno's arms.

Furno froze, his heart skipped a beat. Worry lanced through him as he once more looked over the former human's form. He appeared to have just passed out, but considering the state he was in, as well as the state of the training center, was still worried. Now that he was so close, Furno noted how thin the Riolu was.

A terrible sense of guilt settled in his stomach. He should have noticed this before now. Zero was his friend, but he had been too set in his own stubborn to notice his friend's deteriorating state.

"Such incredible power." Furno whipped around at the sudden voice. Standing at the lip of the crater was Stride, looking no worse for wear. An almost maniacal look in his eye.

"Stride?" Furno questioned. "What happened?"

"Progress."

Furno's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"We've finally found the trigger for the Silver Soul," Stride said eagerly. "It responds to intense feelings of desperation and fear, much like a defense mechanism. However, as you can see, the power is quite wild."

"What did you do to him?" Furno demanded, his anger rising.

"We can easily move forward with this," Stride continued as if he hadn't heard the playful Pokémon speaking. "Now that we know what triggers it, we can use that to begin to control it. This is good. Very good."

"Hey!" Furno shouted, tired of being ignored. "What the hell did you do to Zero?!"

Stride regarded the Monferno. "What was necessary. We're fighting a war, Furno. We all have to make sacrifices. Zero is no different."

Furno's flame roared with his anger. Carefully, he set Zero down before standing and turning to face Stride. "Is that all he is to you? A sacrifice?!"

"We're all potential sacrifices," Stride replied calmly. "In this world, if you want to survive this war, you must be willing to give everything for the cause. Even your own life."

"Shouldn't that be Zero's choice?!" Furno yelled.

"It is his duty to give everything just like the rest of us!" Stride snapped. "If we hope to win this war, we will need the Silver Soul, and that means Zero must learn to control that power by any means necessary."

"Look at him!" Furno shouted angrily, gesturing to Zero's prone form. "Look at what your training is doing to him! He won't be able to fight if he can't even stand!"

"He'll survive," Stride dismissed. "He has the Silver Soul. He has to—" Before the Greninja could finish, Furno snapped.

Energy coalesced around his clenched fist, his eyes burning as hot as his tail. In the blink of, Furno closed the distance between he and the Greninja, his speed fueled by his Mach Punch. Blood roaring in his ears, Furno didn't even hesitate to smash his fist into Stride's face.

Unprepared, Stride was flung back, crashing to the ground in a heap. Still stunned, Stride could only stare wide-eyed at the seething Monferno; a bruise already forming on his cheek. Furno glared down at the Greninja, feeling nothing but apathy for the one who had been his mentor.

"Stay the hell away from Zero or I'll do worse!" Furno growled through clenched teeth. With his piece said, Furno turned away from the Greninja. He marched down to Zero and carefully lifted the smaller Pokémon into his arms and carefully stepped out of the crater. With one final glare towards the still prone Greninja, Furno hurried out of the ruined training facility and began making his way towards the medical ward.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The Aftermath

When Furno burst into the medical wing with an unconscious Zero in his arms, Dr. Kuren nearly had a heart attack. Without so much as a question, the Spinda had Furno set the fighting type on one of the unoccupied beds and immediately began examining the Riolu.

Furno watched the Spinda carefully examine his friend in anxious silence, not wanting to disturb the doctor's concentration. Especially sense it seemed that, the longer the Spinda observed Zero, the angrier his swirled eyes seemed. Finally, after far too long in Furno's opinion, Dr. Kuren stepped back with a sigh.

"How is he?" Furno asked immediately.

Dr. Kuren didn't respond right away. He didn't even look at the Monferno. He just glared heatedly at nothing. Grumbling under his breath. "Dammit! I knew this would happen!"

Furno frowned. "You knew what would happen?"

The Spinda didn't answer. He teetered over to his desk, grabbing a clipboard. "Have you noticed a lack of energy or personality difference in Zero over the past few weeks?"

"Um…?"

"Loss of appetite? Any changes in personality?"

"I don't…"

The normal type sighed, finally turning to face Furno. "Okay, let me slow down. To put it bluntly, while Zero has no truly remarkable external injuries, his body has experienced a great deal of strain."

"But, how?" Furno questioned.

"To put it simply; overtraining," Dr. Kuren answered.

"You can _over_ train?!" Furno asked incredulously.

The Spinda gave a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so. "Honestly, what are they teaching kids these days," he grumbled under his breath. "I will explain this once, so listen well," the doctor continued, speaking to Furno. "A Pokémon's body is not infallible. It requires food and rest. You can't just train nonstop and not expect there to be no repercussions!"

Dr. Kuren turned back to Zero, giving him an almost piteous look. "Zero has been training so much that his muscles have actually broken down." The normal type sighed. "You see, the premise behind training is that you are putting a large amount of stress on your muscles, tearing them in the process. The muscles then repair afterwards, making them stronger in the process. _However!_ " the Spinda suddenly snapped. "This process requires the body to rest so that the muscles actually have time to repair themselves. Every Pokémon adheres to this fundamental rule, even fighting types."

"So, Zero's like this because…he's been forced to train." A heavy pit settled in the fire-fighting type's stomach. This had been happening to Zero and no one noticed?! How could that be possible?! Stride was the one that was training him! He was supposed to be an expert! He should have noticed what he was doing to Zero. Furno should have noticed…

Furno's shoulder's slumped, his eyes wide yet distant. His friend had been suffering for _weeks_ yet he had done nothing to help him. He had been far too caught up in his own angst to see his friend was hurting. He was no better than Stride.

"You...you can help him, right?" Furno asked tentatively.

The Spinda sighed and shook his head. "There's really nothing I _can_ do. There's no cure for exhaustion except for rest."

"Rest…" Furno murmured. "So, Zero will be better after he sleeps?"

"Essentially, but it's more than that. Zero was lucky this time. I've seen Pokémon permanently injure themselves by doing just was Zero did. Next time, Zero might not just collapse."

"But Zero didn't do it on purpose!" Furno exclaimed. "Stride forced Zero to train so much!"

"And you can believe me when I tell you that I will be having words with him," Dr. Kuren practically growled, his swirled eyes somehow appearing menacing. His glare then softened as he glanced back down at Zero. "Regardless, the only thing we can do for Zero at the moment is to let him rest and his body recover."

Furno nodded his head, looking down at Zero's resting form. "Can I…Can I stay here? With him?"

The Spinda nodded his head, a small smile on his lips. "Of course, but please don't wake him. He needs all the rest he can get."

Furno nodded in understanding and took a seat next to the bed and fell silent. The Spinda watched the Monferno for a moment, making sure that he wouldn't disturb his patient. Satisfied that Furno wasn't going to cause any disruptions, the Spinda teetered off to see to his other patients.

Now alone, Furno allowed his attention to turn to Zero. The doctor had patched Zero up during his examination, leaving the canine in several bandages. Furno distractedly watched the steady rise and fall of Zero's chest, falling deep in his own thoughts. Had Zero really been suffering so much in silence? How had Furno not know? He was his best friend; he should have noticed something like this. Maybe Zero was just good at hiding his pain…

Furno shook his head. That wasn't true. Weiss was constantly sending the Riolu concerned glances since he had started training with Stride. Yet Furno had been oblivious to Zero's pain. He had been too far stuck in his own woes and angst to see that his best friend was in pain. He truly was a terrible Pokémon and an even worse friend.

A soft groan snapped Furno out of his depressive thoughts. Head snapping to his friend's face, Furno watched as the Riolu's once peaceful expression became scrunched if not slightly distressed. His body continuously shifted, as if the Riolu was flinching away from something. He was having a nightmare.

Furno moved to wake up his friend but froze. Dr. Kuren had explicitly told him to _not_ to wake Zero up, but…

Zero made a pitiful keening noise, fear flickering across his face.

"Screw it," Furno said to himself before reaching out and shaking his friend; speaking in a harsh whisper. "Zero? Zero!"

The Riolu jolted awake, his eyes blown wide in fear. His eyes darted back and forth, searching for whatever had been causing him such distress in his dreams. Eventually, his eyes landed on Furno and Zero seemed to drastically calm down.

"F-Furno?" It felt like a punch to the gut to hear Zero speak like that. The Riolu, for as long as Furno had known him, while timid and unsure around those he didn't know, Zero was nothing if not sure of himself. To hear him sound so weak and fearful broke Furno's heart.

"Yeah, it's me," Furno said, forcing himself to smile. "It's okay. You're safe."

"Where…?" Zero groaned, raising a paw to his forehead. "Ugh. My head…"

"Relax. You're in the medical wing. I brought you here after you collapsed," Furno explained.

"Collapsed?" Zero groaned again, clenching his eyes shut as if recalling what had happened was causing him pain. "I was…I was training with Stride and…" He clenched his eyes in pain again.

"Dr. Kuren said that you over trained and collapsed as a result," Furno supplied.

Zero frowned. "No. Something happened…I…I think I did something. I think…I think I used the Silver Soul."

Now it was Furno's turn to frown. "Do you remember what happened?" Furno asked, his curiosity winning out. "When I got there…everything was a wreck."

Zero frowned, straining to recall what had transpired just minutes ago. Furno was about tell him to stop when he opened his eyes again. "Stride…he was trying to get me to unlock the Silver Soul. He thought…he thought that he could trigger it through fear."

A heavy sense of foreboding settled within Furno. "What did he do?"

Zero moistened his lips. Then, speaking hardly louder than a whisper, he said, "He made me remember the Beedrill."

Just like that, the sliver of respect that Furno still held for the Greninja evaporated. "He did what?"

"He…the Pokémon he brought with him; he could make illusions," Zero began to explain. "He sent me to Lush Forest. The same one from the Temple of Memoria. The Beedrill…" Zero's fists clenched around the bedsheets as his voice began to crack. "It was going to kill me again."

Furno instantly placed a calming hand on his friend's shoulder, silently reassuring the former human. The action seemed to work as Zero visibly relaxed. "Thank you, Furno," Zero said, shooting Furno grateful smile.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Furno asked.

Zero looked away, unable to meet Furno's eyes. "I…I had to get stronger…"

Fury instantly began to well up inside Furno. "Are you kidding me?!" Furno snapped, causing Zero to start. "You did all this just to get stronger? What the hell's wrong with you?!"

"Huh?" Zero questioned, confused.

"Why would you push yourself so much just to get stronger?" Furno demanded. "You were hurting. You knew you were hurting yourself, but you just kept at it. The state you were when I found you…that wasn't training. All you were doing was hurting yourself! Dr. Kuren said as much!"

Zero opened his mouth, most likely to answer, but Furno was on a roll. "You've had this obsession since Angela teleported us to Ironside Cave. What, you don't trust anyone to get the job done anymore? You have to do it all yourself now?"

"No!" Zero denied, trying, and failing, to sit up.

"Then what is it!" Furno demanded, rising from his chair. "You said it yourself that you wanted to get stronger to _protect_ everyone, so it's clear that you don't trust any of us to handle ourselves in battle. Well, newsflash, we're all capable of handling ourselves! We don't need you to look after us!"

"I know you don't…" Zero tried to explain, but Furno wasn't listening.

"If you want to do things yourself, then maybe you should go off on your own!" Furno said savagely. "If you do that than you don't have to worry about anyone but yourself."

"That's not what I want," Zero said softly.

"Then what _do_ you want, Zero?!" Furno demanded. "Why they hell are you doing this to yourself?!"

"Because I don't want to disappoint anyone!" Zero shouted.

Furno paused, Zero's response having thrown him for a loop. "What do you mean by that?"

Zero didn't respond for several seconds. He simply stared down at the bedsheets as if the patterns in the fabric were the most interesting thing imaginable. "Stride always said that the Silver Soul would be the power that would save us all. After what happened at the Groudon Division, and everyone learned at it wasn't a myth, Pokémon started to think the same way. So many of them are counting on me to use this power and beat the Emperor, but I don't know how. I have absolutely no idea how to use this power and I'm letting Pokémon down with my ignorance, so I kept at Stride's training."

Zero sighed. His body slumped slightly, whether this was due to fatigue or something else, Furno wasn't sure. "Part of me knew that training like I was probably doing more harm than good, but I couldn't afford to stop." Tears began to well up in his eyes as he continued to speak. "So many Pokémon are relying on me to use this power to defeat the Emperor, I can't disappoint them."

Furno said nothing. He could only stare gobsmacked at the former human. Zero…Zero had been putting himself through all this…for everyone?

"For adults to put such pressure on a child…I am truly disappointed in the state of affairs in the division," Dr. Kuren's calm voice rang out, drawing the attention of the duo.

"Dr. Kuren…" Zero mumbled, sounding slightly bleary. Talking so much must have taken a lot out of him.

The Spinda came to a stop on the opposite side of the bed as Furno. "I do believe I said not to wake him," the Spinda said reproachfully.

"He was having a nightmare," Furno murmured abashedly.

Dr. Kuren hummed noncommittally before turning to Zero. "Zero, let me make this clear to you. It is not your job to save everyone." Zero frowned, going as far to open his mouth to dispute the Spinda's statement, but the doctor simply raised a paw for silence. "Let me finish," he gently scolded. "While, as a member of the Resistance, it is your duty to complete the missions you are given, sometimes even rescuing other Pokémon, but it is not your duty to save this world. Whether or not you possess some prophesized ability is irrelevant, what matters is that it is not your responsibility."

"Then whose is it?" Zero questioned.

"Adults. No, listen," Dr. Kuren said when it looked like Zero would argue. "I am not saying that you are incapable of holding your own in combat, but you are a child. That's a simple fact. I'm already opposed to children even participating in this war, but it is clear that it is an unescapable reality of the world, however, that does _not_ mean that we, as adults, should rely on children to win the war for us. The Emperor is a problem that the generations before my own should have dealt with, back when he first came to power, but they didn't and here we are. I'm not sure about the rest of the Resistance, but I have no intention of leaving someone like him to the younger generation."

The Spinda pinned Zero with a stare. "No matter what, don't let anyone tell you that you _have_ to be the one to end it all. The only thing that you have to do is live your life the way you want. If you want to fight the Emperor, then good on you, I won't stop you, but don't let anyone tell you what you're supposed to do in life. Understand?"

Zero swallowed heavily. Unable to make so much as a noise, he just nodded his head. At his side, Furno saw a bit of tension leave the Riolu's shoulders. Spurred by this, Furno sat down once more and placed a hand on Zero's shoulder. The emanation Pokémon turned to him, his eyes curious, yet wary.

"No matter what you choose, Zero, I'll stand by you. Even if you want to leave the Resistance." Zero's eyes widened in shock.

"What? But Furno! You're dream…" Furno just shook his head and smiled.

"You're my friend, Zero. After everything we've been through, you've stuck with me through it all. The least I can do is do the same thing for you." Furno's smile then turned somber. "You've been such a good friend to me, yet I haven't been to you. I allowed myself to get worked up over you getting more training from Stride that I didn't see that you were hurting."

"It's fine, Furno…"

"No, it's not," Furno denied. "Ever since I've evolved, I've been acting like a jerk to you and everyone, looking for even the smallest reason to snap at someone. I…I saw Stride exclusively training you as him saying that I was nothing but worthless. I was angry at Stride, but I took it out on you, and I'm sorry for that."

Zero gave the Monferno a piteous look. "You have nothing to apologize for, Furno. I should have realized—"

"Don't say you should have realized how I felt!" Furno interrupted with no small amount of anger. "I purposefully hid how I felt from you! Stop apologizing for everything!" Furno winced. "Sorry. I did it again. I'm just…"

"Experiencing the effects of sleep deprivation," Dr. Kuren finished, startling both members of Team Dawn Breaker.

"What?" Furno questioned.

"Irritability is just one of the symptoms of lack of sleep," Dr. Kuren said. "I am a doctor for a reason. Just after seeing you for a brief moment, it's clear to me that you haven't been sleeping enough." He teetered around the bed, coming to a stop before Furno. Before the playful Pokémon could react, the Spinda reached up and swiped his paw across Furno's face, taking with him a small glob of paste as he did so. "And this gunk isn't fooling anyone."

"Wha—" Furno couldn't form any coherent words. He had been found out.

"My guess is…" Dr. Kuren continued, wiping the make-up on a towel, "…is that you've been substituting chesto berries rather than actual sleep." He pinned Furno with a hard stare. "Simply eating chesto berries isn't a viable substitute for actual sleep. Just as I said before, you need sleep in order to recover from all the stress you put your body through on a daily basis."

"I know, I know," Furno said dismissively.

"Clearly you don't," Dr. Kuren interjected harshly. "If you did, you wouldn't be having this problem."

"It's not like I don't want to sleep," Furno grumbled. "Arceus, I would like nothing more than to sleep, it's just…"

"Nightmares?" Furno stared wide-eyed at the spotted-panda Pokémon. Said Pokémon allowed a smirk to splay across his lips. "I'm not a doctor for nothing. You're not the first, nor will you be the last, Pokémon to suffer nightmares." His expression became grimmer. "Many Pokémon have turned to chesto berries in order to stave of their nightmares. In the end, they eventually experience what you're no doubt experiencing: irritability, random bouts of fatigue, poor balance, memory loss…am I in the right ballpark."

Furno could only nod his head. The Spinda tsked and shook his head. "Both you and Zero are in need of rest."

"I can't," Furno argued. "Every time I do…" Furno trailed off, his gaze wandering over to Zero, specifically his chest. Zero's eyes widened in realization.

"The Beedrill. You've been having nightmares about it too." Furno winced but nodded all the same.

"Yeah. Ever since we got back from that damn temple, every time I close my eyes, I see that thing stabbing you through the chest." Furno's fists clench tight enough to draw a small amount of blood. His teeth creaked with the pressure he was putting on them. "I can't…I don't want to see that again!"

Furno bowed his head, unwilling to look at either Zero or Dr. Kuren. He could feel the tears biting at his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

"So, you turned to chesto berries," Dr. Kuren finished calmly. His tone wasn't accusatory, he was simply stating a fact.

Furno nodded solemnly, an embarrassed flush rising to his cheeks. The doctor shook his head at the Monferno. "Like I said, you're not the first Pokémon to turn to chesto berries in an attempt to stave off their nightmares. There is nothing to be ashamed of so long as you now know that they are not to be a crutch."

Furno stubbornly kept his mouth shut. He was sure that, if he tried to speak, his voice would choke up and he didn't want to look weaker than he already did.

A paw fell upon Furno's wrist, causing him to jump marginally. Turning, he saw Zero was looking at him. "I know how you feel," he said softly. For a moment, anger flickered within Furno, anger towards Zero for having the audacity to say he could relate to what he was going through. That anger was quelled in an instant as he realized that, if anyone understood what he was going through, if not more so, it was Zero.

"That fear, it's like you're being crushed from all sides, put under so much pressure that you can't even move or breath. It's like your drowning and there's no one there to pull you out," Zero continued, never once breaking eye contact. A small smile crept across Zero's face and he tightened his grip. "It hurts, but you won't have to go through it alone anymore. I won't let you."

Furno stared at the Riolu, his first and best friend, for a full minute without saying anything as he allowed the words to sink in. He then gave an odd noise that sounded like a cross between a snort and a huff. He turned his head, but it did nothing to hide the tears that were now streaming down his cheeks. "You're always trying to protect me, but I don't need your help! Instead, _I'm_ going to protect you!" he declared.

He turned to face Zero, trying to look determined while he was crying. "You don't have to shoulder everything yourself anymore, none of us will," he said, referring to Quill and the others. "We're all teammates and, more than that, we're friends. We stand by and support one another, no matter what. Got it?" He said the last portion as more than a demand than a question.

Zero smiled tiredly. "I got it. It's nice to be able to rely on others…" Zero's voice slowly became more and more slurred before he laid back in the bed and closed his eyes. His breathing evened out shortly after before soft snores began to emanate from the small fighting type.

"Good, he's asleep," Dr. Kuren said, giving Zero a quick once over. Satisfied with whatever he found, he turned to Furno. "You should get some sleep as well. I'll prepare you a bed and inform your team where the two of you are."

Before Furno could even form an argument, the doctor teetered off. Furno sighed, quickly scrubbing away his tears. Glancing at a sleeping Zero, the burning pit in his stomach that he had felt since the day he was born burned with a new fire. The determination and anger towards the Emperor that had fueled him for as long as he had been with the Resistance faded to embers, replaced by an even stronger fire. A fire born from the desire to stand by and protect his friend that had been doing the same thing for him.

The young Monferno was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. Glancing around, he was met with the sight of a Machamp rushing into the room, the vulpine-like Pokémon Furno had seen in the training center in his arms. Said Pokémon appeared to be struggling in the fighting type's grasp, albeit feebly.

"Put me down! I am perfectly fine on my own!" the Pokémon growled weakly. When the Machamp didn't comply, the Pokémon struggled more fervently. "Arceus dammit, Monty! Put me down!"

"Not gonna' happen, Loki," the Machamp, or rather Monty, denied. "Kuren!" he then called out, glancing around.

"Kindly stop shouting in my infirmary," the voice of Dr. Kuren rang as he teetered over to the duo. He took one look at the injured Pokémon in Monty's hands and blanched. "Arceus. What happened?"

"I don't know," Monty said. "I just found him in the training center like this. The entire room was wrecked."

"It was just training," the Pokémon -Loki- grunted, wincing as he was shifted around.

Now that Furno really got a look at the Pokémon, he saw that he really was in bad shape. There were several noticeable gashes on his body that, while appearing to have stopped bleeding, left his ashen fur stained. Clumps of fur appeared to have been torn or burned from his body, revealing dark, purpling bruises. What was worse was their right arm and leg were both bent at a very awkward and grotesque angles.

"These aren't from normal training," Dr. Kuren hissed in annoyance, gesturing to Loki's body. "It looks like you were attacked!"

"He was."

The air seemed to become heavy as Stride's voice stretched out. Silently, the Greninja crept into the room, his eyes looking forward, yet distant and oddly haunted. He stopped in front of the trio, glancing at Loki before turning his attention to Zero. Furno immediately growled, shifting so that he was in Stride's line of sight. The Ninja Pokémon's eyes shifted immediately to the Monferno and visibly flinched as if remembering something unpleasant.

"What do you mean he was attacked?" Dr. Kuren demanded, annoyed by Stride's lack of explanation.

Stride turned to the Spinda, giving him an appraising gaze, as if he were trying to decide if he should tell the doctor. Eventually, whether it was the normal type's stern look or Monty's intimidating glare, Stride caved. "The Sliver Soul…is a truly a terrifying sight to behold. Even after seeing it before, it is a completely different thing to be on the other side of its rage."

Dr. Kuren frowned. "The Silver Soul? What do you…?"

"You triggered it," Monty realized, eyes wide in surprise. "You triggered the Silver Soul within Zero."

Stride nodded, an almost creepy smile crossing his expression as he remembered the event that left Loki in such a state. His eyes glimmered with potential possibilities surrounding Zero's ability. "Now that I know how to activate it, all that's left is to control it…"

"No."

Stride froze, his smile slipping from his face. He turned to Furno with a frown. "What was that?"

"You're not doing anything with Zero anymore," Furno growled.

"Furno," Stride began patronizingly. "Zero learning how to use the Silver Soul is—"

"I don't give a damn about any of that! You're not going anywhere near him!" Furno roared, his tail flame exploding with his fury.

"Furno…"

"You made him relive his death!" Furno snarled viciously, cutting Stride off before he could even begin. "You made him relive his own death just so you could bring out his power!"

Dead silence followed Furno proclamation.

"Stride, you didn't," Monty said sounding both horrified and disbelieving at the same time.

Stride didn't respond for several moments. He bowed his head, not meeting anyone's gaze. "I did what was necessary."

Monty gasped, nearly dropping Loki as he stumbled back in horror. His form seemed to waver, the grey skin of his Machamp form shifting to pink and back again as he struggled to maintain concentration on his form. Horror and disgust were rampant emotions within the Ditto's eyes. He felt physically sick as he stared at the Greninja.

"He is a _child_ , Stride!" Dr. Kuren exclaimed, fury blazing in his swirled eyes. "What the hell were you thinking!"

"I was thinking about saving all of us!" Stride snapped back. "The Silver Soul responds to extreme emotions like fear. If we can harness this, we can—"

Stride's rant was cut short when Dr. Kuren suddenly blurred forward and slapped the Greninja across the face. Stride stumbled back, caught off guard by the doctor's sudden violence. He looked down at Spinda, too stunned to properly react.

The Spinda seethed, his breathing labored as he struggled to contain his anger. "Get out," he said, his voice hardly audible as he continuously ground his teeth. When Stride didn't move immediately, Dr. Kuren shouted, "Get the hell out of my clinic!"

Stride jolted out of his stupor. He cast a final glance at those within the clinic before departing without another word.

Dr. Kuren stood still, visibly trembling as he tried to reign in his fury. After taking several deep breaths, he turned to Monty. "Put him on the bed over there," he said, gesturing over to the side. "I'll deal with him in a moment."

Monty nodded silently, waling over to the bed without a word. The Spinda then turned to Furno and a sleeping Zero, his angry gaze softening ever so slightly. "Get some sleep, Furno. You'll need it."

Furno nodded, not wanting to anger the Spinda anymore than he already was. The Spinda gave a chaste nod before walking over to Loki's bed.

Furno sighed, his tail flame dimming. The events of the day caught up with him as he suddenly felt tired. As much as he didn't want to sleep, he couldn't resist its call. He moved to get up to one of the other beds, but was halted by a tug on his arm. Looking down, he saw that Zero, even while asleep, had kept his grip on the Monferno's wrist.

Furno gave an experimental tug, trying to see if he could break the Riolu's grip without waking him, but Zero held firm. Furno sighed, too tired to deal with anything else. Instead, he got into the bed next to Zero and closed his eyes, the comforting warmth of his friend relaxing. All of his stress and anxiety melted away as he slowly lost consciousness and, for the first time in a long time, he had no nightmares.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

A Chance For a Nightmare's End

"Are you sure you're okay?" Weiss asked for the hundredth time in under an hour.

"For the last time, Weiss. _Yes_ ," Zero replied, sounding more than a little annoyed. "I'm just on bedrest. That doesn't mean I'm invalid!"

"I didn't mean any offense," Weiss said, immediately backtracking. "It's just…"

"You were worried," Zero said with an eye roll, though the Absol could see resigned fondness in his eyes.

"But are you sure you should be moving around this much?" Bogran asked worriedly. Zero sighed at the question.

"I have literally been in bed for two weeks," Zero said. "And half of that time I've been asleep! I'm tired of being bedridden! Besides, I've already got Weiss and Bella worrying over me."

The Banette gave a disgruntled grunt, but did not stop in her inspection of Zero. Deeming him injury free, the ghost type floated off to do who knows what.

"Even so, Bogran said worriedly.

"Oh, lay off him!" Quill laughed, slinging an arm around the Marshtomp's shoulder. "Take it from a fellow fighting type; being still for too long is against our nature!"

"If you're sure," Bogran said, sounding unconvinced.

"Of course I'm sure!" Quill exclaimed. "After all, he's not going on any missions any time soon."

"Even so, he should be—" Weiss began to say only to be silenced by a deadpan stare from Zero. She sighed, rolling her teal eyes. "Fine. Just don't overexert yourself."

"Wasn't planning on it," Zero said, rolling his eyes _again_. "So, where are you guys going this time around?"

"We are venturing to the city Folune," Dusty answered.

"Isn't that in the far south of Lyore?" Zero asked, vaguely recalling the map of Lyore that they kept in the Division.

"Indeed," Weiss answered. "Bandits have apparently been raiding one of the nearby villages."

"So, they sent a missive to us?" Zero asked. "Aren't there other divisions closer?"

"Yes, but it's not uncommon for missions to be distributed to all neighboring divisions. Especially if the mission is of a higher difficulty," Dusty explained.

"I guess that makes sense," Zero said with an unconcerned shrug. "Is Furno joining you guys?"

"As far as I know, he's still on medical leave. Same as you," Weiss answered, giving the Riolu a hard look.

"I wasn't asking to join, Weiss," Zero huffed, though, secretly, he _did_ wish to go. After being cooped up for so long, he was desperate to get out and actually see the sun. It had been months!

"Wh-Where is F-Furno anyw-way?" Noelle managed to say between stutters, though it was difficult to tell if this was due to her shyness or her species tendency to shiver in even the warmest of environments.

"Still talking with Stella," Zero answered, frowning slightly. After Furno had confessed in front of him and Dr. Kuren, the Spinda suggested (ie: forced) to resume therapy sessions with Stella. Zero didn't know the contents of what was discussed, but Furno did appear to be doing a little better. He was a lot less volatile and often showed instances of his previous personality, though it was subdued. It most likely didn't help that the playful Pokémon's nightmares persisted.

Now that Furno was officially weened off of chesto berries, his nightmares happened almost every night. The young fire-fighting type hardly got anymore sleep than he did while eating the berries, frequently waking in the middle of the night, a strangled scream caught in his throat.

He did his best to hide his shouts, going as far as stuffing his sheets in the gap between his door and the floor, but the rest of the team were frequently awoken by his shouts. The first time it had happened, Zero had still been in the medical wing, and no had been aware of Furno's plight. Needless to say, the team was quite panicked.

Since then, the others, under Furno's behest, tried not to be too overbearing when it came to his nightmares, though, more than once, Weiss stood outside his room at night and asked if he was alright. Furno never opened the door to any of them, not even Zero when he came back to their rooms.

It hurt Zero to know that Furno was still hurting so much and he couldn't do anything about it. That being said, even if he could, Zero was sure that the Monferno would refuse his help. The fire-fighting type was much to proud to allow Zero to play the knight in shining armor yet again. Still…

"Well, we can't wait for him," Weiss declared, rising to her feet. "It's almost a three-day journey to get to Folune. We shouldn't dawdle."

"Oh, okay," Zero said, trying not to sound morose.

Weiss smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry, Zero," she said, placing a paw on his shoulder, careful not to scratch him with her claws. "We'll be back before you know it."

"Right," Zero said with a grateful smile.

Weiss nodded, giving the former human a small smile in return. "Any time. Bella! Are you coming?" she called.

From the ceiling, Bella's head appeared. She stared at the rose colored Absol for a moment before shaking her head, giving a despondent chur before retracting her head. Both Weiss and Zero sighed at the action.

"Bella's kind of…odd," Bogran commented.

"You've been with Team Dawn Breaker for a month and you're just now realizing that?" Quill asked with an uneasy chuckle.

"Enough you two," Weiss said, rolling her eyes. "Let's go."

Zero waved to his team as they left, leaving him to his solitude. With a groan, the Riolu slumped into one of the chairs. He sighed. "Now what?" he glanced at ceiling. "Bella, you want to do…something?"

Bella poked her head through the stonework again. She stared at Zero for a moment, her face blank. Then, without so much as a groan, she withdrew her head, once more leaving Zero alone.

Zero groaned. "Guess not."

-Resistance-

Furno withheld an irritated sigh as he left Stella's room. His talks with the Espeon were…well not an entire waste of time. Unlike his previous therapist, Stella actually listened to him. She listened to all of his problems and offered him sound advice and counsel. He supposed this was what his previous therapist had tried to do, but, at the time, he hadn't been willing to even listen to them. He guessed that, after confessing to Zero, he was a lot more…open with discussing himself.

It wasn't a quick or easy fix by any means. While things did get better, the nightmares still plagued his dreams almost every night. Images were just as horrible as he remembered. Seeing Zero on the ground, bleeding…his breathing becoming shallower…dying.

Furno bit his lip, the sharp pain snapping him out of his thoughts. Pain, no matter how small, seemed to bring him back to reality. It didn't really work while he was asleep, but it was something. Stella had mentioned that hurting himself wasn't a valid option for dealing with his trauma, but Furno didn't have any other option. It was the only think that brought him back when he fell into his memories.

He understood why Stella didn't want him to harm himself, which was why the most he did was bite his lip or even his tongue. Nothing too severe, just enough to ground him. Even so, the fact that the nightmares persisted made him want to turn back to the chesto berries. The only thing that kept him from relapsing was his promise to Zero.

Furno sighed tiredly, pausing in the hallway. Pokémon sidestepped around him, some of them giving him dirty looks for having the audacity to stop in the middle of the hallway, but he paid them little mind. He had always dreamed of joining the resistance, to become a hero and save the world from the Emperor, but this…this wasn't anything like his dream.

The reality of it all…it hardly seemed worth. The scars, the pain, he never thought that it would be the price of being a 'hero'.

Furno snorted. "Like I can even call myself that?"

Sure, he did some good, saved a few Pokémon, returned a few stolen items, but it was hardly anything worth mentioning. In the grand scheme of things, it hardly mattered. The Emperor's soldiers were still gaining ground and the Resistance was hanging on by just a thread. It honestly felt like everything he did was meaningless in the end. Was even worth staying in the Resistance when he mattered so little?

Furno shook his head. It wouldn't matter anyway. Even if he left, the scars would stay with him forever. And where would he go to? His parents had sold him out to the Emperor, so he couldn't go home. The only place he _could_ go was where he already was.

"Dammit," he muttered aloud. "Why am I still doing this?"

"Furno?"

The Playful Pokémon jumped, his eyes snapping towards the voice. He hadn't even realized it, but he had made it back to his team's rooms. Zero was staring at him in surprise and a small amount of concern. Furno was about to respond, but paused.

"Why are you sitting like that?" he asked.

Zero shrugged, an odd gesture considering he was laying upside down in one of the chairs. "I'm bored," he groaned, sighing dramatically.

"So, you're sitting upside down?" Furno asked, raising his brow.

Zero just shrugged again before giving a startled yelp as he slid off the chair, landing with a thump on the ground. "Ow."

Furno stared at the prone Riolu for a solid minute before bursting out in laughter. He couldn't help it. All his previous thoughts drifted to the background, the sheer randomness and silliness of his friend overtaking him.

Still on the ground, resting on his shoulders, arms splayed out, Zero joined in his laughter. Zero was a lot brighter now a days, much like he was when he and Furno first met. He wasn't sullen or withdrawn like before. He seemed more…alive. Furno was sure Zero was hurting just as much as him, but the fact that the former human could still laugh and mess around like he was…maybe everything would be okay in the end.

Zero managed to gain control of his laughter first and got back in his chair, sitting properly this time. "How was your session with Stella?" he asked curiously.

Furno's mood dropped ever so slightly as he took a seat. "Same as usual. We just talked, nothing special."

"But are you…you know…?" Zero shifted awkwardly. "Getting better?" he finished anxiously.

Furno sighed. "I'm…better. I'm not a hundred percent, and I don't think I'll ever be. Especially with the nightmares…"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Zero said, smiling sadly. "Seems like only yesterday we formed Team Dawn Breaker."

Furno chuckled, sitting down next to Zero. "I remember that. I was such a little kid back then."

"That was like…a year ago!" Zero pointed out, laughing lightly. "You're still a kid!"

"Hey! I'll have you know that I've matured since then!" Furno exclaimed, sticking out his tongue in a decidedly immature manner.

"Clearly," Zero said, unimpressed.

"Mean!" Furno said with a pout. The two of them stared at one another for several seconds before bursting out in laughter.

Furno completely relaxed, feeling at peace. He really missed moments like this. Where he could just sit around and laugh with his friend. After they had returned from the Temple of Memoria, and learned that Zero had the Silver Soul, between Stride always whisking Zero away to train and their fight, they never had the chance to just sit down and relax. It was nice just talking and not having to worry about training or their next mission. In a way, their extended leave was a blessing.

"Hey, Furno?"

Furno turned to Zero. "Hmm?"

Zero didn't look at Furno, instead keeping his gaze on the ground. "Do you think…Do you think that, if we knew everything that we'd go through, that we'd still have joined the Resistance?"

Furno blinked. Zero truly did understand what he was going through. That was the very same question that had been plaguing him. His first thought was to say that it wasn't worth it. That the horrible things the two of them had endured far outweighed the 'good' they did. He was just about to say so when he paused.

He looked down at himself, at his evolved form. Would he be a Monferno if he hadn't joined the Resistance? Would he be as strong as he was? And what about Zero?

Furno looked at his friend. Would they even be friends if Stride hadn't recruited them? And where would he have gone? Zero had no memories of his previous life. He literally had nowhere to go, not that Furno was any different. Where would he be if not with the Resistance?

As he pondered Zero's question more and more, Furno couldn't help but think of the Pokémon he had met. The friends that he had made. The Pokémon he rescued. A small smile appeared on his face; his answer clear.

"Yeah, I think I would."

Zero finally looked up, a look of surprise on his face. He then smiled at the Monferno. "Mhmm. Me too."

Furno nodded, his smile morphing to a wide grin. It was broken when Furno suddenly gave a jaw-breaking yawn. "Still wish I could get a decent night's sleep, though."

"Are the nightmares still happening every night?" Zero asked in concern.

"Not every night. Just most nights," Furno said.

"I don't envy you. I get nightmares on occasion, but nowhere near as often as you do."

"Yeah, but you still sometimes freeze up when you're fighting," Furno pointed out. "I'd take lack of sleep over than that any day."

"Still though…I wish there was something I could do," Zero said, giving a frustrated sigh.

"There's nothing that can be done," Furno said with a nonchalant shrug. "Stella said that its like a scar. It will heal over time, but it will never go away. I'll have these nightmares forever."

"And there's no way to lessen them at the very least?"

"Nothing short of a 'mind-wipe', as Stella called it."

"What's that?"

"It's what it's called when a psychic type dives into your mind and rearranges things." Furno laughed at the horrified look on Zero's face. "Yeah, I'm not exactly willing to go that far, and neither is Stella. I'll just deal with them and hope they go away eventually."

"There is another way," an oddly familiar voice echoed from behind the duo, causing both Pokémon to jump, Furno nearly falling out of his seat. Both of them whipped around towards the voice and were shocked to see a Pokémon neither of them were excited to see.

"Angela," Furno practically growled at the off-colored Gardevoir. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

The Embrace Pokémon stared at the two younger Pokémon with her usual blank expression, either not noticing or not caring about Furno's ire. "Furno and Zero…or, would you prefer…Atlas?"

Furno felt Zero stiffen next to him as Angela said that name. "How do you know that name?" he asked.

"I was made aware of it around the same time you were," Angela replied. "I saw much of what you did."

"Right because you can see the future," Furno scoffed. "If you could see the future, why didn't you just tell us about the Silver Soul?!"

"My ability does not work like that," Angela responded. "I can only see possible paths that can be taken and sense the more favorable outcome."

"So, you knew that would happen to us," Furno said, his anger slowly beginning to rise. "You knew Zero would…"

"It is why I equipped you with reviver seeds," Angela responded calmly. Furno felt his control over his anger snap.

"Are you kidding me?!" Furno roared, jumping to his feet. "Are we just pawns in some sick game of yours?!"

"Furno," Zero said, most likely trying to calm the Monferno down, but Furno would not listen.

"You literally sent Zero to his death!" Furno continued.

"It was necessary in order to confirm my prediction that Zero indeed possessed the Silver Soul," Angela responded. "In the end, there was no other way."

"Who the hell are you to make that decision?!" Furno demanded. "Who are you to say what's worth it or not?! Zero literally _died_! How the hell is that worth it?!"

"You had reviver seeds, meaning that it was only a temporary experience."

"And if we had ended up using all of them before then?" Furno questioned. "What would have happened if we didn't have any reviver seeds and that Beedrill attacked?! Zero would be dead!"

"But that did not happen," Angela pointed out, still unphased by Furno's anger.

A menacing growl rumbled up in Furno's throat. He opened his mouth to say something, but was stopped when Zero placed a paw on his arm. "Furno, it's no use," he said with a shake of his head. "This conversation's just going around in circles."

Furno gave a huff, small tongues of flame peeking out from between his lips. "She still hasn't explained why she's here," he grumbled, sitting back down.

"I have come to offer a solution to Furno's nightmares," Angela said, causing the duo to whip around towards her.

"What did you say?" Zero asked reverently.

"I have come to offer a solution to Furno's nightmares," Angela repeated, her expression never changing.

"How?" Furno demanded.

Instead of responding, the off-colored Gardevoir pulled out a piece of paper and held it out to the duo. Cautiously, Zero reached out and took the paper, eyeing the Gardevoir skeptically, not that Furno blamed. To be honest, the fire-fighting type half expected the paper to suddenly teleport them. After a few seconds, with the paper showing no sign of being anything but just that, Zero pulled the paper towards them, showing its contents to Furno.

… _said to be a gift from the Lunar Pokémon, Cresselia, the Lunar Wing is believed the hold some power of the legendary. Cresselia, also being known as the Maiden of Dreams, the polar opposite of Darkrai, the Ruler of Nightmares, has been said to grant peaceful dreams to those in her presence. As such, many believe that the Lunar Wing is capable of granting such dreams to those that bear the blessed item._

"The Lunar Wing?" Zero questioned. "Is this what you meant?"

"Indeed," Angela confirmed. "While the conception if the item is often debated, the effects are true."

"So, this thing can get rid of nightmares?" Furno asked, his previous anger replaced by curiosity.

"Yes," Angela responded.

"And you're just going to give it to us?" Zero asked, sounding more than a little skeptical. They only had two interactions with the Gardevoir before now, and one of them ended with the duo being teleported to an unknown location against their will. As such, it was understandable if he were a little dubious over the Gardevoir's motives.

"I do not have one in my possession…" Angela began, only for Furno to interrupt.

"Of course you don't. So, what's the point of you telling us about this when you don't even have it?"

"…however," Angela continued as if Furno hadn't spoken, "I do know where one can be found."

"Where?" Zero asked.

"The Garden of Moonlight," Angela answered. "It is a grove deep within Fey Jungle that Cresselia is said to frequent"

"Of course it is," Furno groaned. "Let me guess, Fey Jungle is an incredibly difficult mystery dungeon."

"No, it is a normal jungle," Angela responded.

"Oh," Furno said, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Though the jungle does contain wild Pokémon and, while they are not as vicious as dungeon-born Pokémon, they are still powerful," Angela explained. "The jungle is also located within one the Emperor's territories.

"There it is!" Furno exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

"I can teleport you directly to the grove if you so desire," Angela added.

"And leave us to make our way back through enemy territory?" Furno scoffed. "Yeah right! How stupid do you think we are? Not to mention that the Legendaries haven't been seen in years. There's no telling if Cressilia, or even a Lunar Wing, is there!"

"I have means of bringing you back when you have obtained item."

"That's oddly convenient. Where was this ability when we were at the Temple of Memoria?" Furno questioned, deciding to ignore the fact that she didn't answer the second part of his question.

"I am unable to teleport being in or out of mystery dungeons," Angela explained. "Furthermore, there was no reason to teleport you back after you exited as you were soon to encounter Team Tempest."

"Wait, if you can teleport Pokémon so far away and so easily, why don't you teleport Resistance members directly to the Emperor and catch him off guard?" Zero asked.

"There are plenty of ways to stop my teleportation. Dark types and even other psychic types are capable of defending against intrusion. Not to only that, but…" For the first time since the duo had known Angela, there was a flicker of emotion on her face. A flicker of fear crossed her face for a moment before she became neutral once again. "…even if I were able to teleport someone, or several Pokémon, to the Emperor, they are more than likely to perish."

A chill ran down Furno's spine. Was the Emperor truly that powerful.

"Regardless," Angela continued, "I am more than willing to teleport you two to the location to obtain the Lunar Wing."

"Why are you doing this?" Zero suddenly asked.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you suddenly going out of your way to help us?" Zero clarified.

"I go around and help all teams within the Latios Division when I receive information that is viable to them. That is why I am often tolerated within the division," Angela responded. "Before you ask, I will remind you that my sight is not absolute. I do not see everything, nor do I know everything."

Furno frowned. "Are you…is this your way of apologizing for teleporting us?"

Angela tilted her head. "Why would I apologize? As I explained, sending you to meet Stride was necessary."

"Right," Furno deadpanned.

"That aside, this could be a way to stop your nightmares!" Zero said excitedly.

"Yeah, but it's incredibly dangerous," Furno pointed out. "Not only will we be in the middle of a jungle in the midst of enemy territory, but you're still not cleared to actually go out on missions."

Zero's happy expression fell and Furno immediately felt guilty. "I know you mean well, Zero, but your health is more important than getting some item."

"And your health isn't?" Zero fired back. "These nightmares are still effecting you Furno. You said it yourself, you're not a hundred percent. This could help!"

Furno opened his mouth to argue, but Angela interrupted him. "While it is true that there may be danger, you will not partake in this venture alone."

Zero and Furno both turned to the Gardevoir in confusion, however, before they could question her, there was a knock at their door.

"Furno? Stride? I'm coming in!" Bolt's voice called from behind the door. A second later, the Manectric entered their room. He gave the duo a friendly smile, mouth open to say some kind of greeting, but stopped when he saw the Embrace Pokémon. "Angela? What are you doing here?"

"I have come to offer a solution to Furno's nightmares," Angela responded.

"Oh?" Bolt asked, sounding intrigued.

"Her plan requires us to go to a jungle in the Emperor's territory," Furno was quick to add.

Bolt's face closed off. "Absolutely not."

"But this could be our chance to end Furno's nightmares!" Zero cried. "We can't just pass that up!"

"Zero," Bolt said sternly. "I know that I have no right to ask you to do anything, especially after what Stride has done to you, but if you have even a shred of respect for me and Team Surge, don't pursue whatever this is. It is far too dangerous to go into the Emperor's territory, especially for you, Zero."

Furno was nearly certain that Zero would argue, but the Riolu's mouth remained stubbornly shut. It was clear by the constipated look on Zero's face, that he would like nothing more than to argue, yet, at the same time, he didn't want to go against the elder Pokémon. Not that Furno blamed him. Team Surge had always been good to the duo. Each of them had visited Zero while he was in the medical wing to personally to apologize for Stride and to assure them that they would punish him.

All of them had been both sincere and horrified by their former leader's actions, even Seth, though the Absol was far more composed about his emotions. Thinking on it, it really shouldn't have been a surprise that Zero would remain silent. They all had his best interest at heart and Zero knew that.

"If it helps, there is little to no soldier presence within Fey Jungle," Angela added, reminding the trio that she was there. "The only true challenge would be the wild Pokémon of the jungle."

"You seem awfully intent on sending us to this place," Furno said, eyeing the Gardevoir suspiciously.

"As I have told you, I see various paths and gain a sense of which path is the most favorable," Angela stated. "This path, while I do not know what you will encounter, whatever it is will be beneficial."

"Even so…" Bolt said, sounding uncertain.

"I am more than willing to send both you and their Banette ally along with them," Angela tempted. "I can even accompany the four of you to assure a quicker exit if you would like."

As if summoned, Bella phased through the ground, ending up directly between Furno and Zero. The ghost type looked at Zero questioningly, giving a hollow groan.

"See, we'll be fine if we go," Zero said, giving the Manectric a pleading look.

Bolt, still looking uncertain, glanced at the three remaining members of Team Dawn Breaker, seemingly assessing their capabilities. Or perhaps their survivability. After several seconds of deliberation, the Discharge Pokémon sighed in defeat. "Fine, but at the first sign of trouble, we leave," he said the last portion to Angela.

"Understood."

Furno sighed internally. While this was a chance that this venture could cure is nightmares, they were still going into the Emperor's territory. To him, the risks far outweighed the reward. However, he said nothing. He could tell Zero was enthusiastic about their chances and he didn't want to put a damper on his spirits.

"If you are prepared, then let us depart." That was the only warning Angela gave them before their were all blinded by a flash of light.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The Garden of Moonlight

"I can't believe I allowed you to convince me to do this," Bolt grumbled the second the group regained their bearings. "This is incredibly foolish, not to mention going against the Tribunal's wishes!"

"And Dr. Kuren's," Furno pointed, wobbling slightly, still not used to teleportation.

"Don't remind me!" Bolt howled, collapsing in an over dramatic fashion.

"But we're not even in a mystery dungeon!" Zero argued. "It's perfectly safe."

"Not perfectly," Angela interjected. "As I said, while the jungle itself is not a dungeon, it is still an area that houses wild Pokémon. While it is unlikely that they will attack us as we venture to the center of the garden, we must not lower our guard."

"Right…" Zero said, sounding unconcerned as he looked around their environment.

True to Angela's words, they were in a jungle. Towering trees and an obscene amount of other foliage surrounded the group on all sides. However, unlike most jungles, the typical green color of the vegetation was absent. Instead, the vibrant green was replaced by, blues, purples, and, oddly enough, pink colors. The various shades of color on the leaves gave the entire jungle a scintillating look. The tall trees nearly completely blocked out the sky, bathing the jungle in darkness. Or, it would have had it not been for the odd glow the vegetation seemed to be giving odd.

"Weird," Zero muttered, walking closer to one of the ferns, taking one of the leaves into his paws. "What makes it glow like this?"

"Bioluminescence," Angela responded, "the biochemical emission of light by living organisms."

"Huh?"

Angela glanced at the former human. "It is what allows Volbeat to create light without using a move."

"Oh…so they glow from something in the actual plants?" Furno questioned, coming to stand next to Zero. "But…what—"

"I am not a scientist," Angela replied tersely. "I cannot answer all your questions. As such, we should continue forward. We have a ways to go before we reach the garden."

"How come you couldn't teleport us directly to the garden?" Furno asked, Bella grunting in agreement.

"As I explained, there are locations that I am incapable of teleporting to places that possess a strong psychic presence," Angela explained. "As the Garden of Moonlight is said to be the home of Cresselia, this is not unexpected. Instead, I brought us as close to the garden as I could."

"R-Right," Furno grumbled in reply, blushing slightly despite his haughty response.

Bolt glanced at Angela, frowning almost unperceivably. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but the off-colored Gardevoir simply turned and began to walk down the natural path through the jungle.

Blinking, Zero stared after the Gardevoir. To the Riolu, she seemed almost impatient. Like she was in a hurry to get to their destination.

Frowning, much like Bolt had done just moments ago, Zero took one last glance around the odd jungle, he began to follow Angela, Furno, Bella and Bolt following close by.

The group's journey felt a little odd to Zero. For one thing, it seemed that Angela, by either some divine means or simply knowledge of their location, could easily navigate through the jungle. Granted, the group essentially was walking straight forward, but with the various forms of vegetation sticking out, it would have been rather simple to lose your way.

What's more, Angela seemed to be rather impatient. She was silent, but she would frequently cast quick glances back at them. Normally, this could be attributed as her making sure that they were following her, but the look in her eye, well…Zero wasn't a Riolu for nothing.

Admittedly, psychic types, as Zero had found over his time as a Pokémon, were harder to read, even with his emotion sense, possibly more so than ghost types like Bella. He assumed this was because most of their abilities came from their mind, granting psychic types a larger resistance against mental intrusion and more control over their own emotions when compared to other types. That would also explain psychic types' resistance against moves of their own type. Regardless, while Zero couldn't 'read' Angela like he could other Pokémon, he could still notice the agitated look in her eyes every time she looked back at them.

Zero was also sure that he wasn't the only one who noticed Angela's strange behavior either. Bolt was constantly side-eyeing the Embrace Pokémon with suspicion in his eyes. Even Furno was frowning at her, though it may have been more out of agitation rather than suspicion.

Eventually, far later than Zero expected, Bolt snapped.

The Discharge Pokémon stopped abruptly, nearly causing Zero and Furno to crash into him. "Alright, that's enough, Angela," he barked.

The Gardevoir glanced at him, annoyance and exasperation clear within crimson orbs. "We must continue. We are close to the garden."

"Not until you explain yourself," Bolt said, stubbornly sitting on the jungle floor.

Angela fully turned around to face the Manectric. "I do not understand what you are asking for."

"Don't play dumb!" Bolt snarled. "This mission is more than just retrieving a Lunar Wing, is it? Had it been just that, you wouldn't be as impatient as you are. What are you up to?"

"…I do not know what you are referring to," Angela responded after a few seconds of silence. "Our purpose here is to obtain a Lunar Wing for Furno."

"Then why the rush," Bolt sneered. "If it were simply a matter of finding the item, should it even be there, you wouldn't be in such a rush to reach the Garden of Moonlight." He then got up and marched right up to Angela. "What's the real reason for bringing us here? What did you _see_ , Angela?" he asked.

Angela said nothing. Her gaze remained blank, revealing no emotion as she met the electric type's glare. When she didn't answer, Bolt began to growl ominously.

"Judging by how you're not refuting my statement, I can assume that you _did_ in fact see something," Bolt said. His voice was eerily calm, but Zero didn't believe it for a second. "So, tell me, what exactly did you see?"

"…What I saw is not important," Angela said stiffly.

"Cut the crap! We could be walking into a deathtrap for all we know!" Bolt snapped. Small bolts of electricity began to jump from the Discharge Pokémon's fur in his anger.

"No harm will come to us once we reach the Garden," Angela replied coolly.

"And we're supposed to just believe you?!" Bolt demanded incredulously. "I get that you can see the future, and you help the Resistance with that ability, but you have a tendency to put the needs if the many above the needs of the few!"

"As is necessary," Angela said. "Much like in chess, in order to win a war, one must make sacrifices of their pieces."

"Lives are not chess pieces!" Bolt roared; the sparks shooting off of him more ferociously. "The Resistance exists to protect _all_ lives! We can't just sacrifice Pokémon to reach our goals! If we did, we'd be no better than the Emperor!"

"It is that mentality that is keeping us from winning," Angela said coldly.

"What was that?" Bolt growled dangerously.

Both Zero and Furno took a step back, the anger rising between the two older Pokémon reaching palpable levels; Intent from both Pokémon blanketing the entire area. The bolts of electricity coming off of the Manectric had stared to singe the nearby foliage, but Angela seemed unconcerned. On the contrary, the air around the Gardevoir seemed to shift and warp, a glowing blue ring growing within her eyes.

Next to him, Zero saw Furno stumble backwards, fear radiating off his form. Zero didn't blame him, the Intent surrounding them felt like it was choking them. On his other side, Bella hissed threateningly, but, compared to the monsters in front of them, she might as well be a Togepi growling at a Tyranitar. If things persisted the way they were, Zero feared the two adults would come to blows.

Swallowing thickly, Zero prepared himself to step in before the adults could actually try and harm one another, but froze when he heard a twig snapped.

As if a spell had been lifted, the Intent dissipated in an instant. The sparks around Bolt receded and the air around Angela returned to normal as both of them spun towards the sound of the twig.

Standing just under the foliage around the group was a very small Pokémon. Hardly reaching past Zero's knee, the Pokémon resembled a mushroom. It was primarily white in color with two large black eyes with light green half-circle markings on either side. Its body was thin, especially considering the size of the Pokémon's head, and split into three green 'roots' at the base. Three large mushrooms grew from the top of its head, the middle one being larger than the other two. The cap of the middle mushroom was dark pink with a lighter pink tip while the other two were purple with lavender tips.

The odd-looking Pokémon slowly exited the foliage before freezing before the group. Its eyes widened as if just realizing the group was there. It gave a shrill shriek before bolting back into the jungle.

The group stared after the Pokémon. The once tense and highly-charged air had disappeared, replaced with surprise and confusion. Zero frowned. While he wasn't overly familiar with the world he currently resided, he had seen quite his fair share of Pokémon while living at the Latios Division. That being said, he had never seen a Pokémon like that.

"What was that?" Furno asked, still somewhat pale from the Intent Angela and Bolt had been giving off.

"A Morelull," Angela responded, her voice returning to its previous stoic tone. "A rather rare Pokémon to find within Lyore. Even rarer to find in the wild."

Zero blinked, Angela's words registering to the former human a few seconds after the fact. "Wait, on _Lyore_?" he questioned.

"Of course. Lyore isn't the only continent in this world," Angela responded. "We simply haven't explored as the Emperor as blocked Lyore off from the rest of the world."

"Why would he do that?" Zero asked.

"He feared that the other continents would assist the Resistance in usurping him," Bolt answered. "To ensure that his reign was absolute, he enlisted several water types to patrol Lyore's borders to make sure no one is capable of entering the continent."

"I didn't know that," Zero said. Granted, he really should have realized that Lyore wasn't all that made up the world.

"The Emperor has done a lot of things," Angela said. "It is why he needs to be stopped…" She glanced at Bolt, "by any means necessary."

Bolt turned, his glare returning full force. He opened his mouth to say something, but the Gardevoir had already turned around and began to walk further into the jungle. "Come," she said. "We must continue."

"This conversation isn't over!" Bolt shouted, but Angela appeared not to hear him and continued onward. Bolt growled angrily, sparks once more jumping off his fur."

"Um…Bolt?" Zero questioned tentatively spoke up, partially fearing that he would garner the Manectric's anger. His worry was, however, for naught, as Bolt exhaled loudly, the electricity around him dissipating.

"Sorry about that, you two," he said with a resigned sigh. He gestured towards Angela. "We better catch up."

Zero and Furno nodded instantly, neither of them wanting to give the Manectric any reason to get angry again. Angela had already gotten a bit of a head start as Bolt was calming down, but it was still easy to see the off-colored Gardevoir's tell-tale blue and white body stood out among the vegetation. Bolt kept a noticeable distance between himself and the Gardevoir, most likely to avoid any other altercation between himself and the Embrace Pokémon. It was clear to Zero that the Manectric was still smarting over the argument, the anger radiating off of him was practically palpable, but Zero wasn't sure what to do.

Bolt wasn't part of his team. He had no authority or right to question Bolt's motives, though they were fairly clear, but Zero couldn't help but feel like there was a deeper reason to Bolt's anger towards Angela.

After several more minutes of silent travel, Bolt sighed. "I am sorry about all that."

"You already apologized," Furno pointed out.

"I know, but that doesn't excuse how I acted," Bolt said. "I allowed my temper to get the better of me and I used my Intent without thinking."

"Why were you so mad anyway?" Furno questioned, alarming Zero with his brazen question. "I get that you weren't happy with her view, but was getting that worked up necessary?"

Zero blinked, trying his best to keep the incredulousness off of his face. That was a rather hypocritical thing to say given how Furno had been acting a couple weeks prior.

"It wasn't just what she said," Bolt confessed. "Angela and I…we don't see 'eye-to-eye' on many things."

"Clearly," Furno snarked.

"Furno," Zero chided, elbowing his friend.

"What?" Furno demanded, unabashed.

"It's fine," Bolt said, a ghost of a smile on his face. He then became somber. "Anyway, as I'm sure you know, Angela's main purpose is to use her visions to assist the Resistance, specifically the Latios Division. She can see visions consisting of several possible outcomes to a specific event in the future. She then tells us the best course of action given what she sees. Her abilities have been proven helpful in numerous situations, but she never tells us everything. She always speaks cryptically. Whether this is how her vision come to her or not, I'm not sure, but part of me thinks it's because, if she told us everything, we'd be reluctant in following through with it."

"The cost outweighs the reward," Zero realized.

Bolt nodded. "Exactly. In the grand scheme of things, we've come up on top more in those instances, but not without losses on our side. To some, it's just the casualties of war, but the thought of willingly sacrificing my comrades." Bolt shook his head, a low growl rumbling from the back of his throat. "I can't abide by that."

"…something happened," Zero said after a few moments. "Specifically, something involving you and her."

Bolt's entire body went rigid and, for a second, Zero thought he overstepped his bounds. Eventually, Bolt started walking again, his shoulders sagging ever so slightly. "Angela sent us to Razed Ridge several years ago," he said after a couple of minutes.

Zero reeled back in shock, not having expected Bolt to respond and definitely not expecting the answer he got.

"Wait, you mean the mission that…crippled your teammate?" Furno asked.

Bolt whirled around. "How do you know about that?"

"The Temple of Memoria," Zero answered. "One of the floors was Razed Ridge and had a Kirlia. Stride mentioned that you lost a teammate on the mission."

Bolt huffed, shaking his head. "We didn't…lose a teammate in the literal sense. She's still alive, just…"

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Zero said hastily.

"It's fine. It's not like it's a secret," Bolt assured. "Back then, it was just the three of us; Stride, myself…and Flare. We were the cornerstone members of Team Surge, much like you and Furno are to Team Dawn Breaker."

Bolt smiled wistfully; his mind submerged in blissful memories of his past. His smile soon turned somber. "We were so confident in our abilities, and for good reason. We had a perfect track record in our missions, we had defeated numerous soldiers despite not being at our final forms. We were on top of the world. It's only natural that we be brought down to reality."

Zero felt a shiver run down his spine. A virtual miasma of depression, fear, and fury hovered over Bolt like a cloud. "Angela approached us, regarding a mission to Razed Ridge. She said that she saw a Pokémon fleeing through Razed Ridge, a soldier chasing after them. She said that the Pokémon possessed information vital towards the war effort and that our team had the best chance of gaining the information they carried."

"So, you went to Razed Ridge," Zero finished.

"Yeah. We did," Bolt said. "Everything was fine for the first few floors. The dungeon Pokémon were strong, but we were well stocked with items: blast seeds, petrify orbs, reviver seeds…we had everything we could ever need to get to our target." Bolt gaze sank to the ground; his shoulders slumping. "…but all of our preparations meant nothing when we encountered Aster."

Bolt shivered, bringing up a paw to touch a spot just over his right shoulder blade. Zero had never noticed it before, but there was long jagged scar, peeking out from beneath the sharp, yellow fur above his leg.

"We underestimated him. Aster. We thought he was a pushover. A Kirlia being a dangerous enemy?" Bolt gave a hollow chuckle. "We were completely caught off guard by his strength and skill. I don't remember much of the fight, he took me down in a matter of moments, but when I came to…" The Manectric shuddered. "The one we were supposed to rescue was dead, Stride was practically catatonic, and Flare…Flare lost her ability to use her _Flame_."

"Her _Flame_?" Furno asked, his trembling slightly. "You don't mean…" Bolt just nodded; his expression solemn. Furno blanched, his expression becoming disturbed. It looked like he was going to be physically sick.

"Um…what exactly is a flame?" Zero asked, feeling out of the loop.

"Not a flame. A _Flame_ ," Furno clarified. "To a fire type, their _Flame_ is their life. It allows us to control and manipulate fire, gives us strength, it's our very life." He held up his own tail, the fire upon it burning brightly in the shadows of the jungle. "If it were to be snuffed out, we would die as a result."

"Seriously?" Zero asked in horror. Looking at his partner's tail, he couldn't help but worry about how fragile the small light seemed. One lucky hit from a water type could end his life.

Furno seemed to realize what Zero was thinking and chuckled. "Don't worry, it's not so easy to extinguish a Pokémon's flame, even those of us that have our flames exposed. Even being completely submerged in water won't kill us outright, though it does hurt a lot."

"Oh," Zero said with no small amount relief.

"Even so," Furno began turning back to Bolt. "To lose access to her _Flame_ …most fire types would choose death rather than live their life like that."

"Well, not Flare. She's far to stubborn to even think about giving up like that. Even so…" Bolt sighed, "it was hard for her, not being able to use her abilities, practically invalid. It shattered her confidence and broke her spirit. She could hardly look at me and Stride without shame coloring her expression. She left Team Surge shortly after."

"Where is she now?" Furno asked.

"Oh, she's still at the division," Bolt answered. "She just does odd jobs around the place. Unfortunately, it's all a Combusken without fire can do for the Resistance."

The bitter tone of finality in the Manectric's voice caused Zero to flinch. Despite this, Zero had a burning question that he had to ask. "You said that Angela believed your team had the best chance of gaining the information. Did you…get that information?"

Bolt regarded the Riolu with a blank stare. The former human swallowed, thinking that he had finally overstepped his bounds, but Bolt just sighed. "We did," he confirmed. "It was our team that learned that Razed Ridge was essentially a short cut through our two territories, but the information wasn't worth it."

Bolt glared at Zero, daring him to say otherwise, not that Zero would. While it was true that knowing how Razed Ridge operated was crucial to the Resistance's survival, knowing that it cost another Pokémon what was essentially her life, it all seemed like a double-edge sword. Had Flare been given a choice of sacrificing her ability, and done so willingly, it would have been different, but neither her nor the rest of her team new of the dangers that faced them. That wasn't something Zero could abide by.

A cold hand touched Zero's shoulder, causing the Riolu to jump. Zero whirled around, a disgruntled glare aimed at Bella, however, the Marionette Pokémon was undeterred. The ghost type frantically shook Zero's shoulder, pointing in front of them. Confused, Zero followed where she was pointing and gasped.

While Bolt had been talking, they had reached their destination. Before them was an open grove, the oddly colored trees forming a perfect semi-circle around the clearing. The trees were also spread out at the canopy, allowing moonlight to illuminate the garden. With the natural light bathing the garden, the already bioluminescent foliage glowed even brighter. Glowing spores rained down like snow, flashing and disappearing as the entered and exited the light. Flowers grew around the clearing, leaving a single patch of grass in the very center of the garden. The petals, which were the same color as the leaves, shimmered animatedly, adding to the ethereal aura the garden seemed to have.

"Whoa!" Furno openly gaped. He stepped into the clearing, his eyes filled with wonder and awe. "It's beautiful."

Zero could only nod his head in agreement. The image looked right out of a fairy tale. Some of the Pokémon from before, _Morelull_ , were loitering within the flowers. Zero noted that, while they appeared wary of the group, they were much calmer than the previous one they had encountered. Almost as if the garden was calming them.

Bella too seemed to be entranced; her mouth unzippered and hanging open. Her pink eyes were wide with wonder. Though, considering the way she was eyeing the Morelull, Zero was curious as to how long her calm would last.

"I didn't realize it was so late," Bolt said, worryingly glancing up at the moon. "We need to get back soon."

"We will leave when we have retrieved what we have came for," Angela, who stood in the middle of the garden, said.

"Well where is this Lunar Wing?" Bolt demanded; hackles bared. He mockingly gestured to the garden. "I don't see it anywhere."

Angela didn't reply. She simply stared at the Manectric with her calm, yet unreadable gaze. Bolt frowned, tensing his body as if preparing to lunge at the Gardevoir.

"What are you—?" Bolt never got to finish his question.

Angela's eyes pulsed red, the glow looking even more ominous in the dim, silvery light. Bolt's eyes glowed with the same light before he stumbled. The Manectric swayed on spot, his legs shaking underneath his body as if suddenly struggling to hold himself up.

"Damn…you," Bolt growled feebly, before collapsing onto the ground.

"Bolt!" Zero and Furno both shouted, rushing over to the downed Manectric, Bella close behind. Upon reaching the Discharge Pokémon, the young team found that Bolt was unconscious yet showed no sign of injury.

"What did you do to him?!" Furno demanded, rising to his feet, his arms raised in preparation for a fight.

"He is simply asleep," Angela explained nonchalantly, appearing unphased by Furno's anger. "He would simply be a hinderance to our conversation."

"What conversation," Zero questioned warily, rising to match Furno's stance. Beside him, Bella growled; the shadows around her seeming to grow darker in rhythm with her emotion.

"The one you'll be having with me," an unfamiliar bright and bubbly voice.

A bright light erupted from next to Angela, momentarily blinding the young trio. When it finally died down, the group saw an odd Pokémon floating beside the Gardevoir. It had a black head and torso with a white ring around its chest and two half circles underneath its bright blue eyes. Above those eyes, mimicking eyebrows, were two curved, pink lines, separated into three segments. Its hands possessed no fingers and puffy pink bracelets on each wrist. On top of its head was a mass of pink, tentacle-like hair with two larger strands framing its face. Its lower body was encased by what appeared to be a shell resembling an insect.

The 'shell' was light pink in color with a white rim and two connected diamonds connected to the rim. On either side of the shell was a hexagonal pattern consisting of five, dark pink triangles, almost resembling compound eyes. The ridges on the back of the shell resembled Butterfree wings. Resting on top of the Pokémon's 'hair' was a pink conical shell, a similar diamond pattern on the front of it.

The strange Pokémon eyed the unconscious Manectric before turning to Angela. "You didn't need to knock him out," she, at Zero thought it was a she, admonished the Embrace Pokémon.

"He would have kept interrupting," Angela replied simply. "It will be a lot smoother now."

"Hmm," the Pokémon responded, sounding exasperated yet fond. She then turned to the trio. Despite having no mouth to convey her feelings, her eyes were bright and warm, giving the impression that she was smiling. However, instead of being put at ease by this, Zero felt all the more cautious.

The Riolu's instincts were screaming at him to run. To get away from this seemingly kind and harmless Pokémon. The sheer aura they gave off, while not visible or corporeal, rolled off them like a fog. The power they possessed was comparable to that of Regigigas.

Zero was certain of it. The one before them was a Legendary.

"Are your Cresselia?" Zero asked tentatively. It would make sense. They were supposed to be in her garden after all.

The legendary chuckled brightly. "Oh, no, no, no. I'm not Cresslia," she explained. "Like all the other Legendaries, she left this place a long time ago. I am Tapu Lele."

"Tapu…Lele?" Furno repeated, cautiously. "I haven't heard of you before."

"That's not surprising," Tapu Lele said, unconcerned over Furno's lack of recognition. "Myself and the other Tapus and I didn't frequent Lyore very often, so it's not surprising that you haven't heard of me." She then chuckled when she noticed Furno's nervous expression. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna' smite you for not knowing my name, Furno."

"O-Oh," Furno muttered, blushing a little. Zero noted that a small amount of tension left the Monferno's shoulders. The tension returned twofold when he registered what she had said. "H-How do you know my name?"

The Legendary chuckled again. "Just because we Legendaries left your world doesn't mean we haven't been watching. Granted, we don't see everything, though maybe Arceus does…" she added as an afterthought. "Regardless, we've taken special interest in Lyore, especially now that you and Atlas have entered the playing field."

Zero stilled at the mention of his human name. "How do you…"

"As I said, young Atlas, the Legendaries have been watching," Tapu Lele said in a very cryptic manner. "Not to mention, it wouldn't be wise to not keep an eye on our champion."

Zero had a million questions. Champion? What did she mean by that? What exactly was he? The immense feeling of starving with food just within arm's reach. All of his questions about who he was and why he was here were right there in front of him.

Zero's mouth felt like sandpaper, his throat crackling with every breath he took, but he wouldn't be deterred. He had to know. "What…am I?"

Tapu Lele regarded the former human, her gaze becoming sympathetic. "A survivor," she replied. "A human, left among the wreckage of his former life. The sole survivor of his species and last surviving bearer of the Silver Soul, taken from time to in order to fulfill your destiny and face Lyore's emperor."

"I…what?" Zero managed to get out.

"The Legendaries took you before you could perish with the rest of the humans and transformed you into a Pokémon in order to hide you from the Emperor," Tapu Lele explained.

Zero was at a loss for words. Deep down, he knew he had some purpose. Some reason for being transformed into a Pokémon. He had no delusion of grandeur, but something like what happened to him doesn't happen to just anyone.

The former human moistened his lips, trying to formulate the words he wished to convey, but Tapu Lele spoke before he could. "Unfortunately, we don't have ample time. Arceus only allowed me a few minutes to speak to you. I've come to warn you."

"What? Warn me about what?" Zero questioned.

Tapu Lele's expression became solemn. "Arceus ordered the Legendaries to leave this world because he feared that your dependence on us would hinder your growth. We left so that you all could grow and prosper, and you did, for a time. All of the continents grew and prospered under their respective leaders. There was strife, yes, but you all grew and there was peace. That is, until Lyore's fourth emperor came to power."

The air seemed to take a noticeable chill as Tapu Lele spoke. "After such a benevolent emperor as the Third, we Legendaries were shocked and appalled by the treachery and cruelty a single being could possess. We had hoped one would come to oppose them, but the Fourth was far too powerful for anyone Pokémon. Only one thing could stop him…"

"The Silver Soul," Furno said, causing Zero, who had all but forgotten that he wasn't alone in the garden, to jump.

Tapu Lele nodded. "Yes. The Silver Soul is a great power, one that uses the bearer's own soul as a power source to strike at another's. It is especially strong against those whose essence comes from a more metaphysical configuration. In other words, a soul with a physical body," she explained when she was met with blank stares.

"Ghost types," Furno supplied, remembering the Dusclops Zero…defeated during the fall of the Groudon Division.

"Precisely," Tapu Lele said.

"So, the Emperor _is_ a ghost type," Zero said.

"Yes. A Gengar to be specific. One that has lived far longer than should be possible," Tapu Lele said grimly. "Because of the Silver Soul's effectiveness against ghost types, more so than the type has on itself, you, young Atlas, are the only one that can stand against this monster."

"So, that's why I'm here?" Zero asked. "To defeat the Emperor?"

"Whether you are able to defeat this monster or not is yet to be seen," Tapu Lele said. "The previous emperor, the Third, too wielded the Silver Soul, but he was unable to defeat the Fourth."

"The what am I supposed to do if the power that's supposed to defeat him _won't_ cut it?" Zero asked.

"The Silver Soul is but one component in defeating the Emperor. More is required to defeat the Fourth. That is why I'm here."

The Legendary floated closer to Zero. Her bright blue eyes held none of the previous mirth or warmth, instead holding a deadly seriousness that made Zero swallow thickly. "While we want you to succeed, Arceus' word is law. We cannot interfere within the progression of the world. That being said, we cannot stand idly by as your world falls into disarray and chaos. You must know that, by itself, the Silver Soul is not enough to overcome the Fourth. I can't go into details, but there is an item that you require to reach a level high enough to combat the Emperor."

"What's the item?" Zero asked, sounding almost desperate. "Where is it?"

"I cannot tell you," Tapu Lele said regretfully. "Arceus has only permitted this one hint."

"Well that's hardly a hint!" Furno exploded angrily. "Look for some item somewhere in the world…that's useless information!"

"I'm sorry, but that's all I'm allowed to tell you," Tapu Lele said, sounding genuinely regretful. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, her gaze narrowing as if seeing something. "You'll see the signs, I promise you, but that's all I can tell you. I am sorry, but I must go."

"Wait! I still have questions!" Zero exclaimed desperately, reaching out a paw as if it would stop the Legendary from leaving. There was so much he still wanted to know. Like what happened to his people? His parents? Why did he have the Silver Soul?

"I truly am sorry," Tapu Lele said as she began to glow brightly. "Look for the signs. That is all the advice I can give you. Farewell and good luck." With that, Tapu Lele erupted in light and vanished from the garden.

"No…" Zero whispered, his paw still outstretched. He fell to his knees, mind reeling with more questions than answers. Out of the blue, a Legendary had told him that the weight of the world was essentially on his shoulders. That he was Lyore's only hope of ending the Emperor's reign.

The former human cringed, an uncomfortable dull throb beginning to pound at his chest. Zero suddenly found it hard to breath, his breaths coming out as ragged pants. His lungs felt like they were being constricted by an Arbok. How was he supposed to do this? He was just one Pokémon, one human. He couldn't control the Silver Soul, let alone even activate it. How was he supposed to fight the Emperor or his army? He couldn't do it. He couldn't…

A hand fell upon his shoulder, warm and comforting. "It'll be okay," Furno said, smiling reassuringly. "We'll figure this out. You won't have to do any of this alone."

Bella churred, nearly startling the duo as she had crept up behind them. The ghost type encircled her arms around the former human, conveying her silent support. Zero smiled gratefully at them, his eyes beginning to water.

"Thank you," he said gratefully, warmth spreading over him. He had forgotten, for moment, that he wasn't alone. He had friends, a team, that would stand by him through thick and thin. Despite the responsibility he now carried, he wouldn't have to bear it alone.

"We must depart," Angela interrupted, reminding the trio that she was there. She crouched over the place Tapu Lele had floated, picking up something from the ground. "A final gift from the Legendaries," she said as she stood back up and offering the item to the group."

Curious, Furno stood and took the item, observing it in his hands. Looking over his shoulder, Zero saw that the item appeared to be a feather. The tip of the feather was an almost neon green that bled to an equally bright yellow as it got closer to the hollow root. The entire thing seemed to give of a low, ethereal glow.

Furno tilted his head, his brow furrowed. "This is…"

"A lunar wing," Angela answered, moving towards Bolt. "The item you sought."

"This is the lunar wing?!" Furno exclaimed in shock, looking at the item with a newfound reverence.

"Yes. With it, your nightmares will no longer plague you," Angela said.

"So, the story about the lunar wing wasn't a lie you came up with to get us here,"

"No," Angela responded simply. She looked down at Bolt, her eyes flashing red. A second later, the Manectric stirred.

"Ugh, what?" Bolt grumbled, clearly still disoriented. He climbed to his feet, wobbling slightly as he fought to clear the cobwebs from his mind. When he finally focused, he eyes locked onto Angela. Immediately, the Discharge Pokémon bared his fangs, a low, threatening growled rumbling from the back of his throat. "You!"

Just before Bolt could launch himself at the Gardevoir, Zero shouted. "Wait! Bolt! It's okay! We've got what we came for!"

Bolt paused in his charge. Turning, he gave the group a confused look. His eyes zeroed in on the softly glowing feather in Furno's hand. "What? How…?"

"All will be explained once we return," Angela interrupted. "We have spent enough time here. Let us depart."

Before anyone could say anything in the contrary, Angela closed her eyes and a bright light consumed their vision.

-Resistance-

Zero gasped, nearly falling over as his feet abruptly met solid stone. Blearily glancing around, he saw that Angela had teleported them just outside Team Dawn Breaker's room.

"Ugh," Furno groaned, holding his stomach. "A little warning would be nice next time."

"What happened back there?" Bolt demanded, stepping towards the Gardevoir. Fury burning in his eyes. "What happened while I was asleep and why did you put me to sleep in the first place?!"

"You would have been a distraction and a hinderance to the conversation. That is why I put you to sleep," Angela responded coolly.

"What conversation?"

"The one that had to be had."

"Dammit, Angela!" Bolt roared in anger.

Zero sighed at the two adults before looking away. His mind was still reeling from he had just learned. Even with Furno and Bella's reassurance that they would stand at his side, he was still lost and concerned about what the future would hold.

A jaw cracking yawn tore its way out of Zero. He was tired. The events of the day were catching up with him and there was nothing he wanted other than to sleep and deal with everything in the morning.

With that in mind, he turned to enter his team's rooms when he saw a note stuck to the door. Curious, he removed the note and began to read.

"What was so important that you dragged us to a random jungle under false pretenses?!" Bolt demanded, oblivious to everything around him other than the source of his ire.

"There was no false pretense. I said that there was a chance at obtaining a lunar wing for Furno and there was. I never lied," Angela pointed out.

"You know what I mean!" Bolt snapped angrily. "What was this conversation you had and why was it so important?"

"I did not participate in the conversation, however certain truths were revealed that will be crucial in the coming final battle," Angela said.

"Will you just speak normally?!"

Bella gave a chittering laugh as she watched the two adults argue. Furno shook his head at the Marionette Pokémon's antics. "At least one of us is enjoying this," he muttered, turning back to the quarreling duo. In all honesty, he suspected Angela spoke the way she did because it infuriated Bolt. Then again, it was hard to get a read on the off-colored Embrace Pokémon.

Shaking his head, Furno turned to Zero only to frown when he saw the former human was reading a note. "Zero?"

Zero didn't respond. He just stood there, staring at the paper in his paws. Stepping closer to his friend, he noticed that his paws were shaking.

"Zero?" Furno asked a little louder, gaining the attention of the other three in the hallway. "What's wrong?"

Zero finally looked up, his red eyes wide and full of fear. "Quill and the others…they've been captured."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Captured

 _Greetings Team Dawn Breaker, or rather, what's_ left _of Team Dawn Breaker,_

 _I won't waste your time with simple words or irrelevant chatter; my name is Morpheus and I have captured your team. They are relatively unharmed, aside from a few cuts and scrapes, and alive. If you desire for them to stay this way, you will send the bearer of the Silver Soul, Zero the Riolu, to the entrance of Ashen Woods closest to Wyrwood by sunset tomorrow. For every minute he is late, one member of the team will be terminated. I do hate bloodying my hands, so I hope that you will comply._

 _Regards,_

 _Morpheus._

Liz put down the letter, her normally bright and chipper demeanor smothered under grim horror. "They found this outside their door?" she asked.

"Yeah," Bolt responded solemnly, glancing at his teammates. "No sign of the Pokémon that put it there, though."

"Arceus," Wake muttered. "This is really bad."

"No kidding, Liz," Bolt laughed humorlessly.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Bolt!" Liz snapped, jumping to her feet. The Nidoqueen's already massive form seemed to double in size as she toward above the Manectric. "Children's lives are at stake here!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" Bolt shouted back. "I am fully aware of how serious this situation is. Not only were a bunch of kids captured by the enemy, but another was able to infiltrate the Latios Division and leave a ransom note. I know how screwed up this all is!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Seth snapped before either Pokémon could say anymore. "Now's not the time to be bickering amongst ourselves."

"Seth is right," Samuel agreed. The large ice-grass type shifted in his seat, resting his head upon his hands. "We need to figure out a plan of action."

"Why does the name Morpheus sound so familiar?" Wake questioned, glancing at the note.

"Don't you remember?" Samuel questioned. "He's the one that always worked with that Musharna, Hypnos, before he was captured. He's known as the 'Puppet Master' for his ability to manipulate and control other Pokémon with little effort."

"Right, now I remember," the Poliwrath exclaimed before becoming grim. "He's caused numerous for us in the past, but he's been quiet for the past few months."

"Until now," Jasmine said. "And, considering her knows that Zero has the Silver Soul, he's more than likely working for the Emperor."

"If that is the case, then is there any need for discussion?" Mystic asked. "It seems obvious the course of action that we should pursue."

"And what would that be?" Liz questioned; her gaze dangerously sharp.

"The Tribunal's ruling regarding the Silver Soul is quite clear. They are to remain within the division, where it is safe, and master the ability. While said training has been put on hold for the time being, the fact remains that he is not to leave the division under any circumstances."

"So, we just leave the others to die?" Liz questioned.

"Even if you don't believe that the Silver Soul can end the war, you cannot deny its power," Mystic pointed out. "If mastered, it will be an incredible boon for us."

"I'll ask again, so we just leave the others to die?" Liz repeated, deliberately speaking slowly. Each word charged with fury.

The Meowstic glanced at the enraged Nidoqueen. "I don't like it anymore than you do, Liz. All life is precious, but in this case—"

"They are children!" Liz shouted.

"And this is war!" Mystic snapped back. "They all knew what they signed up for."

"Just because they decided to join the Resistance doesn't mean we should just let them die!" Liz argued. "The Resistance is meant to save Pokémon, not let them die when we can help them!"

"But we can't help them," Jasmine pointed out. "We would have to give up one of our own, a potential trump card and another child," she stressed this last part. "Are you really willing to sacrifice Zero?"

"Of course not!" Liz exclaimed. "But we can't just stay here an let them die! We have to go help them!"

"We can't just blindly rush into this," Samuel said placatingly. "While I agree we can't just leave them there to die, we also can't give up Zero. This isn't a problem we can just solve without talking. After all, there's no way of knowing if Morpheus will kill his hostages if he sees that Zero isn't there."

"Maybe we should bring this to the tribunal," Jasmine suggested. "They would be able to make a less biased decision…"

"No! Please don't!" Zero suddenly shouted. When Bolt had brought the remnants of his team to Team Surge's rooms, the Riolu had been completely silent. He was left reeling from the note, unable to accept or comprehend that his team, his _friends_ , were being held captive because of him, but he couldn't stay silent any longer.

"Zero, I understand your desire to save your teammates, but you can't risk your own safety," Bolt attempted to placate. "It might be for the best if we approach the Tribunal regarding what to do next. If we want to rescue your team, then a formal rescue mission would be in order…"

"No, you can't go to the Tribunal," Zero denied. "They would never authorize this kind of mission!"

"What makes you say that?" Jasmine asked.

"It's like Mystic said, I'm a boon to the Resistance. A potential trump card that could turn the tides of the war. They would never allow me to take part in this mission," Zero said.

"Maybe that's for the best," Jasmine suggested. "After all, there's no reason to risk your life if you don't have to."

Zero turned to Jasmine. "And if this Morpheus decides to kill my teammates when he sees I'm not there?" he demanded harshly. The Liepard shivered from the unexpected intensity of the Riolu's stare.

"Kindly stop glaring at my teammate. In case you didn't notice, we're trying to help you," Seth growled.

Zero turned his glare onto the Absol. "Well excuse me for actually giving a damn about my team!" he snapped angrily.

"Zero!" Bolt exclaimed reproachfully, shocked at how angry Zero had become.

Seth regarded the Riolu. "You're upset."

"Obviously," Zero snarked viciously.

"Can you really blame him?" Furno asked, barely withholding a sneer. "We just found out our team's been captured and we're doing nothing to help them!"

Bella churred in agreement; her pink eyes flashed with barely restrained anxiety. Her ash-gray body seemed to vibrate and undulate as if her oddly cloth-like body was struggling to contain whatever otherworldly energy ghost types were comprised of.

"We are trying to come up with a logical way to precede," Mystic explained.

"No, you're trying to shift the responsibility," Zero said angrily. "Just let me go there myself…"

"You're not going alone," Furno immediately denied. "Bella and I are going with you."

"None of you are going." Bolt interjected before Zero could offer a rebuttal.

"Why not?!" Zero demanded.

"Because it's way to dangerous," Liz supplied. "Even for us adults. This isn't any place for children."

"Yeah, 'cause we haven't been to places that weren't for children," Furno snorted.

"We've been in dangerous situations before," Zero added, both Furno and Bella making noises of agreement. "This wouldn't be any different."

"This isn't something that we can just decide to do!" Seth snapped angrily, rising to his feet. "This isn't just some simple retrieval or rescue mission. We are dealing with soldiers, not petty thieves that would rather run than fight. Their sole purpose of either killing or capturing you."

The Absol stepped up to the Riolu, leaning forward so that their snouts were inches apart. "This isn't just about rescuing your team. This is an attack on the Resistance." Seth shook his head, grumbling to himself. "This is why hatchlings shouldn't be allowed to join the Resistance. They think their invincible after a few easy missions."

Zero glared at the Disaster Pokémon. "And you seem to forget that we've actually been in dangerous situations before! Remember the Temple of Memoria."

"You had both Stride and Orion with you all at the time," Seth said dismissively as he turned around.

"Yeah? Well that didn't stop me from dying now did it?!" Zero roared causing Seth to freeze in place. Next to him, Furno flinched, but Zero hardly paid him any mind. "They weren't able to stop that from happening. Not to mention all the times that we got separated and me and Furno had to fend for ourselves! We're not weak, and we're not _hatchlings_. It was our team that was captured so it will be us that rescues them."

Seth turned back around; his red eyes boring into Zero's. Zero had to resist the urge to gulp at the intensity of Seth's stare. Those blood red eyes seemed to bore into the Riolu's very being, almost as if he were searching for something. "There is a chance, quite a large one, that you will die if you go," Seth said, speaking slowly, making sure each of his words sunk in. "You are a threat to the Emperor, prophecy or not. You won't be shown any leniency, even as a child. Knowing this, are you still prepared take that risk?"

Zero stood up a little straighter, meeting the Absol's burning gaze with a determined glare. "They're my team, my _friends_ , and, as the leader of Team Dawn Breaker, I am responsible for them. I will do everything in my power to bring them back."

Seth stared at him for what felt like several hours. Zero could feel his eyes beginning to burn as he struggled to maintain eye contact with the unblinking gaze of Seth. Finally, the Absol blinked and sighed. "Fine."

Zero blinked having been taken aback. "Huh?"

"I said fine, you can come," Seth grunted.

"What?" Zero gasped. "Seriously?!"

"Yes, _seriously_?!" Liz asked incredulously, her sentiment mirrored across the entire team. "This isn't something children should be involved in! You said so yourself!"

"I did, and now I'm saying they can come with us," Seth said shortly.

"What kind of sense does that make?" Wake questioned dully.

"They're just kids, Seth," Jasmine added. "We can't ask them to put their lives on the line."

"But we already have by having them join the Resistance," Seth pointed, cutting off everyone's arguments. The Absol turned to teammates, looking each one of them in the eye. "They were right," he admitted with a reluctant sigh. "They have been through far more than most Resistance members can attest to. They have proven themselves capable and I won't insult them by saying otherwise."

Zero glanced at Furno, the fire-fighting type's surprised expression reflecting his own. Seth, the irate and frequently angry Absol was…complimenting them!

"Even so," Samuel began, frowning deeply, "even if they are capable, the question of if they _should_ go is still applicable."

"It's they're team caught in the crosshairs," Seth said with what would have been classified as a nonchalant shrug had it not been for the annoyed look in his eye. "Not to mention, considering everything else they've gotten into, they most likely would have found some way of reaching Ashen Woods by themselves."

Zero and Furno nodded in agreement to Seth's statement, earning themselves a tired glare. "Regardless," Seth continued, "we still need a plan on how to precede."

"If we are preceding, then am I to assume that we will not be taking this up with the Tribunal?" Mystic questioned.

"Correct," Seth responded. "As Zero said, considering their current stance of the Silver Soul, they'd be more than likely inclined to force Zero and his team to stay."

Mystic nodded her head and closed her eyes, frowning ever so slightly as she did. "I also assume we are not going to be sending the three of them by themselves to confront the enemy alone."

"Of course not," Seth said.

"But you can't come! None of you can!" Zero exclaimed, giving Furno and Bella a meaningful look. "The note said for me to go alone!"

"And that's not happening," Seth said sternly. "There is no way in hell I'm allowing you to go off by yourself."

Zero wanted to say something at the comment of 'being allowed' to go, but decided that it would come across rather petulant so he held his tongue. "Don't worry, we're not just going to barge in," Bolt soothed, apparently taking Zero's silence for worry. "Mystic will come up with something, even though I'm against letting you risk your safety like this."

Mystic sat in silence for several minutes, appearing to be in deep thought. "Our best bet would be for our team to hide ahead of time while Zero and his teammates confronts Morpheus. Once we have visual on the rest Team Dawn Breaker, we will attack, securing them and ensuring Zero's safety."

"That's all well and dandy, but where exactly will we hide?" Wake asked. "Chances are, Morpheus is held up in the woods. He'd no doubt notice us attempting to sneak around."

"That's where Liz's ability to use Dig comes into play," Mystic explained. "If memory serves, there is a large pond near the specific entrance Zero was instructed to got, it would be a simple matter for Liz to dig a tunnel and allow Wake to enter said pond. When the fighting starts, Wake will be able to surface and engage from the side. Furthermore, as Ashen Woods isn't a dungeon, there is a high chance that Morpheus will have reinforcements hiding close by. Should this be the case, Liz being underground allows us to attack from behind as well."

"What about the rest of us?" Bolt asked.

"Jasmine and Seth, being the stealthier members of our group, will slowly follow Team Dawn Breaker as they make contact, keeping out of sight until they have the opportunity to strike," Mystic answered. "The rest of us will be a ways away, waiting for the signal to rush forward. With Wake, Liz, Seth, and Jasmine there, that will give the rest of us time to approach and engage the enemy."

Silence proceeded the Meowstic's plan, allowing her words to sink in. "That definitely sounds like a solid plan," Wake spoke.

"I still don't like this," Liz stated mulishly. "The thought of these kids walking head first into danger…" She sighed, turning to look at Zero, "but I'll help you rescue your team."

Zero nodded his head in thanks. While he still was hesitant to go to Ashen Woods with so many other Pokémon, fearing that it could cause his team to be hurt, he was thankful that, despite not having interacted with the seasoned team they were all willing to help. Even Seth was willing to go against the Tribunal for him. It was…comforting.

"The plan is solid," Samuel agreed, "but I do have one question."

"What is it?" Mystic asked, a small note of agitation over having her plan questioned in her voice.

Samuel looked around the room. "My question is…do we tell Stride?"

Once more, the room fell into silence. A sense of unease spread over the group, conflicting thoughts of feelings regarding their former leader crossing their minds. Eventually, Seth huffed. He glanced around the room, his eyes pausing briefly on Zero. "No," he said eventually. "At the moment, Stride is not part of this team. As such, he will not be made aware of our plan. Understood?"

"Understood," the all chorused, Zero and Furno included.

-Resistance-

As it turned out, it wasn't very difficult for Team Surge to smuggle Zero and his remaining team out of the division the following morning. The former human honestly forgot how influential Team Surge was, even without Stride among them. Watching Seth march purposefully towards one of the main exits, approaching the guard that had been posted to keep Zero from leaving, and getting them to cower away with little more than a handful of words. Next thing he knew, he was outside for the first time in months. Unfortunately, Zero didn't have the luxury of enjoying his freedom.

Ashen Woods, as it turned out wasn't very far away from the Latios Division, probably a few hours away. This, of course, was also slightly worrying considering that someone had also been able to deliver the ransom note to Team Dawn Breaker's door without being seen. The entire ordeal left Zero with a slimy violated feeling. The divisions weren't just bases for the Resistance, they were safe havens, places where Pokémon could live without fear of persecution from the Emperor. Granted, those that lived there would have to contribute something to the Resistance, but the point remained. Now, with one division destroyed, and another possibly compromised, the feeling of safety the division once held had lessened significantly.

Zero shook his head and sighed. Right now, he couldn't afford to be distracted by such thoughts, especially with his team in danger. Glancing around at the crest of the hill the group was currently resting at the base of, the former human felt a heavy sense of peril. Like he was about to begin the long walk to his death. A possibility that was looking highly likely the more he thought about it.

Ashen Woods laid just over the hill, a mere few yards away. His team was so close, but so far at the same time.

A warm hand gripped Zero's paw, nearly causing the Riolu to jump. Turning, he met Furno's concerned gaze. "Are you alright?" Furno asked.

"Y-Yeah," Zero responded, internally wincing at how shaky his voice sounded. "Yes. I'm okay," he said. "I'm just…"

"Nervous?" Furno questioned, earning a nod from the Riolu. "I don't blame you." He looked down at his free hand, which Zero noticed was shaking. "We've been in some dangerous situations before, but this takes the cake."

Zero chuckled a little. "I know what you mean. We've fought soldiers before, but it's…different. This isn't just walking into a fight, this is…" Zero huffed in frustration, unable to find the words he was looking for. Looking down, he noticed that his own paws were shaking.

"I know. Believe me, I know," Furno said, his grip tightening in reassurance. "We talked such a big game with Seth and the others, but…I'm not regretting our decisions," he quickly assured his friend, "but…"

Zero said nothing in response. Instead, he shifted his paw so that he was gripping Furno's hand as tight as the fire-fighting type was. Furno felt his nervousness begin to ebb away, a small smile creeping across his face. The former human's support, even unspoken, alleviated much of the Monferno's worry. Although…

He brought up his hand to finger the Lunar Wing that hung around his neck. It felt like lead, the relief and joy that he felt when they had found the item had vanished the instant Zero showed him the letter. Maybe if he had been there…

"Furno, you don't have to feel guilty," Zero said, snapping the Monferno out of his stupor. "None of this is your fault."

"Wha…?" Furno sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. "That emotion sense of yours can be really annoying."

"That wasn't emotion sense, I just know you," Zero said with a smile.

Furno stared at the Riolu for a second before snorting. "I guess you do."

Zero smiled in return. A bit of the tension hovering over the two of them seemed to fade a bit. However, all too soon, Zero's smile fell into a frown. "We'll save them. I promise you, we will."

"I know we will," Furno said.

"Zero, Furno," Seth called. "Get over here."

Becoming solemn once more, the duo gave the other a short nod before clambering to their feet and walking towards the Absol. Said Disaster Pokémon was standing impatiently beside Mystic, Samuel, and Bolt, Wake, Jasmine, and Liz having already taken their positions.

"It's almost sundown," Seth stated plainly. "You two remember the plan?"

Zero swallowed his nervousness and gave a sharp nod. "Yes."

"Good," Seth replied curtly. He glanced at his team before returning his attention to Zero and Furno. "Jasmine and the others should already be in position. I'll follow you as closely as I can without arousing suspicion. It might also be a good idea to have Belladonna follow behind in the shadows."

Zero and Furno glanced at the Marionette Pokémon, who was floating silently behind the duo. "Okay, sounds good," Zero said. "You think you can do that, Bella?"

The Banette gave a larger smile, nodding her head vigorously before sinking into the ground without a word. Once the ghost type was out of sight, Zero then turned to Furno, his previous anxiety returning full force. His heart thundered in his chest. His blood chilled to the point that it could be considered frozen. His throat felt like it was closing, making it hard to breathe. Even so, despite his fear, Zero forced himself to take a deep inhale to center himself. He had a job to do.

"Let's go rescue our team," Zero said, trying to sound as confident as he could.

Furno nodded, steeling his own expression as well. "Yeah. Let's."

-Resistance-

Zero found it rather difficult to breathe as he and Furno marched towards Ashen Woods. The bubbling fear in Zero's chest seemed as if it were physically wrapping around him, trying to keep him still, to keep him from walking towards the woods. Numerous scenarios ran through his mind with each passing step: how Morpheus could go back on his word and not return his team. How Morpheus could attack him and Furno at any moments. How his team could already be dead…

Zero bit his lip with enough force to draw blood. Thinking those kinds of thoughts wouldn't do him any good. Instead, he tried to focus on his surroundings. Several yards away, the pond where Wake currently laid in wait, lay serene, its still water glinted in the steadily falling sunlight. Ahead, the trees of the woods bore ash gray leaves, an odd color especially when paired with the healthy brown of their trunks. According to Seth, no one knew the exact reason behind the woods' odd coloring, but that didn't matter now.

All to soon, the duo reached their destination. They stood just feet outside the woods, the density of the foliage allowing nothing to be seen past a few feet. Zero frowned as his eyes roamed the tree line, his uneasiness slowly rising. Where was his team?

Next to Zero, Furno shifted anxiously, his own eyes roaming over the outside of the woods. "Where is everyone?"

As if summoned by Furno's questions, there was movement behind the tree line. The duo tensed as a figure leisurely strolled out of the shadows and into the orange light of the dying sun. Standing before them, was a tall, mostly purple Pokémon the duo recognized as a Malamar. The sinister Pokémon possessed piercing yellow eyes with black sclerae with light purple eyelids and a dark pink 'beak'. Its main body has six bright yellow circles on its front with a yellow strip nearly completely encircling its upper body. A transparent mantle covered the Pokémon's main body with two white fins stretching out of it. On either side of the upper portion of the mantel were two long tentacles that were dark pink on the top and ended in white, scythe-like fins. Several purple tentacles, all with blue undersides, sprouted from the top of its head, writhing and squirming like a nest of baby Ekans.

The two sides stared at the other; Zero and Furno in tense anticipation and the Malamar in silent appraisal. Neither side spoke, Zero and Furno out of fear and trepidation and the Malamar content with just observing the younger Pokémon, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding tension. Eventually, the dark-psychic type spoke.

"Hmm. You arrived earlier than expected. That's okay of course," they said as if reassuring the duo, "the early Pidgeotto gets the Caterpie after all."

Zero's gaze narrowed. The Malamar's entire demeanor read kind and welcoming, but their eyes… Those beady yellow eyes were as cold as Regice.

"Oh, but where are my manners?" the Malamar chastised himself. He smiled at the Riolu, giving the former human the impression that something incredibly slimy and repulsive had been dragged across his fur. "My name is Morpheus. Am I to assume that you are the one called Zero?"

Zero tensed at the confirmation of the Pokémon's name. Swallowing his fear, he stepped forward. "Where's my team?"

Morpheus smirked, amused by Zero's question. "Straight to the point, I like that, but that's quite rude. After all, you haven't introduced your little friend."

Furno tensed at being called out, causing Zero to instinctively step in front of his friend. "Enough games!" Zero snapped. "Where's my team?!"

For a moment, Morpheus didn't respond. He stared at Zero, his smile falling into a blank mask. A think trickle of sweat rolled down the base of Zero's neck; worry that he may have crossed the line with his yell flickering through his mind. However, the Malamar then grinned widely shortly after.

"Fair enough," he said. Morpheus then brought up one of his scythe-like tentacles and, somehow, made a snapping sound with it. A second later, there was more movement from behind the tree line.

Zero felt his heart skip a beat as saw his team being dragged out. Like the letter said, they were all relatively unharmed, but that did not stop the bolt of fury that shot through Zero when he saw his friends injured and trussed up.

Dusty stumbled forward with an obvious limp, scratches and burn marks littering his golden shell. Bogran had several purpling bruises strewn across his pale blue body. A brilliant shiner swelled his left eye almost completely shut. Little Noelle appeared almost entirely uninjured, but she was shivering violently as she was led forward, and Zero knew that it wasn't due to her being cold. Weiss appeared the most composed, aside from Dusty, still managing to look dignified despite being led along by a thick noose around her neck. When she saw the duo, a look of surprise and fear flashed through her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but was silence when her captor tugged harshly at her lead. Finally, Quill—

Furno gasped and Zero didn't blame him. Quill was by far the worst out of the group. The Quilladin appeared unconscious, slung over the shoulder of a much larger green and beige Pokémon. It looked like someone had given him very sparse medical treatment given that several bandages covered his limbs and chest, most of them appearing dirty and stained red. A large, bloody welt was forming on the side of his head.

Seeing their reactions, Morpheus glanced behind him at Quill and chuckled. "Oh, sorry. That one was a little rambunctious so we had to…quiet him," he said, an ominous and disgustingly pleasured tone creeping into his voice.

Zero's body shook with effort to not explode in anger. Acting rashly at this moment would only lead to his team being harmed further. He forced his mind to think rationally and observed his team's captors.

Aside from Morpheus and the large Pokémon carrying Quill, there were six others: a tall Gothitelle, a vicious looking Sableye, a sinisterly smirking Zoroark, a glaring Primeape, a Xatu, and a Pokémon Zero didn't recognize. They were ape-like in appearance with silver fur with bare hands, feet, and snout. Under each of its eyes there was a yellow ring marking encircled by a light blue ring. On the center of its forehead was four-pointed, yellow star. A 'cape' of purple fur hung around its shoulders, divided by several wavy clumps with streaks of orange and light blue throughout. In its hand was a leafy fan held together with the same purple fur as its 'cape'. Zero also noted that this Pokémon was the only one bearing the band of the Emperor's soldiers.

Momentarily putting his confusion of the strange Pokémon on hold, Zero turned his attention to the largest of the group. It shared many qualities of Quill, surprisingly, or not surprisingly as Zero realized that he was staring at a Chesnaught. What was surprising, however, was the dead look in its eyes. They blank, almost unseeing like they were unconscious, but that clearly wasn't the case seeing as it was holding Quill.

All in all, the group appeared strong. They didn't give off the same smothering aura as Aster, but Zero could tell each of them was strong in their own right. They weren't Pokémon that he and Furno could fight by themselves. He even doubted that his entire team together could handle them, but with Team Surge…

"As you can see, I have held up to my side of the bargain," Morpheus said, pulling Zero from his thoughts. "I expect you are prepared to do the same?"

Zero swallowed heavily, trying desperately to appear braver than he felt. "Let them go first."

"Ah, ah, ah," Morpheus tutted, waggling a tentacle in a scolding manner. "That's not how this works. Give yourself up and _then_ we'll let them go."

"And how will I know that you won't go back on your word the moment I give myself up?" Zero demanded.

"And how do I know that you won't?" Morpheus countered. "Trust goes both ways."

"Well we don't trust you!" Furno snapped, taking a step forward.

Morpheus' piercing gaze snapped towards the Monferno. "Of course you don't. That's why you're here, isn't it Furno? Extra support?" A twisted smile formed on his face. "No, that's why Team Surge is here."

Neither Zero nor Furno had a chance to even showcase their surprise before the pond exploded.

A pillar of water erupted from the previously calm body of water, a dark shape shooting from it at alarming speeds. A second later, the object smashed into the ground several yards away, creating a small trench as it skidded several additional feet. It was only after the dust settled that Zero and Furno realized that it was Wake that had crashed into the ground, his body bruised and weighed down by several large chunks of ice.

"Dammit," he hissed through obvious pain, trying and failing to get up.

Not a second later, there was another eruption from the pond. A long, serpentine Pokémon burst from the depths. Its pale, cream colored scales that led into a blue and pink mosaic fanned tail glistened as it soared through the air, its pink hair-like fins shimmering with stray water droplets. It would have been a beautiful sight had the circumstances behind its appearance.

The Pokémon, a Milotic, came to a halt next to Morpheus, hovering a couple of inches above the ground. It flicked its 'hair' with a casual flick of its tail, splattering a few stray water droplets across the ground and pinned the duo with a haughty, disinterested look. A soldier's band was wrapped around the base of their tail.

"That is one," the monotonous voice of the Xatu reported. It turned its topmost eye towards the Primeape. "Ares, about thirty-three paces straight ahead."

A savage gleam flickered behind perpetually enraged eyes as the fighting type sprang into action. The fighting type rushed forward, blasting past both Zero Furno before they could even flinch. It then hopped into the air before slamming both of its fists into the ground. Immediately a visible shockwave rushed out from the point of impact followed by the ground _shattering_ around them.

Zero gasped as he lost his balance under the violently shifting earth, Furno faring no better. A sharp cry of pain drew the pair's attention and they watched in horror as Liz was forcibly ejected from the ground. Not missing a beat, the Primeape leapt at the airborne Nidoqueen, delivering a harsh blow to the side of her head, sending her crashing to the ground with a loud crash.

"That is two," the Xatu reported, just as Jasmine erupted from the shadows.

With her claw wreathed in shadowy aura, her burning gaze fixed on Morpheus' unprotected neck. As she swiped her claws, she was shocked to find that the attack passed through the Malamar as if he wasn't even there. Morpheus' grin widened before his form shimmered and fell apart and Jasmine was left facing the smirking face of the Zoroark.

Unable to move away in time, the Liepard was haplessly smacked across the field by a vicious Low Sweep to the side of her head. Skidding across the ground, she forced herself to her feet only to have to jump back haphazardly as the Zoroark pursued her.

"And there is three," the Xatu said. "The rest will be making their way here. It would be best if we hurry this along."

"Of course, my dear Coatl," Morpheus, who suddenly appeared where the Zoroark had stood. The Overturning Pokémon sauntered over to the stunned duo, his grin reaching impossible proportions. "Now that that's out of the way…"

As he spoke, a shadow formed directly underneath him. In a blur, Bella appeared, pink eyes emblazoned with haunting anger. She reared her arm back to strike the Malamar only for white blur to intercept her. The ghost type only had time to give a single look of confusion before she was overcome with pain as Weiss' vicious Sucker Punch struck her in her stomach.

Bella fell to the ground with a nearly soundless thump, her eyes closed, periodically twitching in pain. Weiss stood over her, a look of horror etched into across her face as she looked down at the damage she had caused to her teammate.

"Weiss…" Furno whispered in horror. "Why…?"

Weiss looked at the fire-fighting type, tears glistening behind fearful teal orbs. She opened her mouth to speak but gagged as the white ape gave a harsh tug on her collar, pulling the off colored Absol back to towards the group.

"Good work, Cortex," Morpheus praised. "I expect nothing less from one of his majesty's soldiers." The Pokémon -Cortex- said nothing, but grinned a cruel grin, giving another harsh tug on the Weiss' chain. Morpheus then turned back to Zero. "Now, as I was saying, let's move on to business."

Zero hardly heard him. His eyes were still locked onto the forms of Team Surge as they struggled to defend against the oppressing might of Morpheus' goons. They, Liz and Jasmine, were being pushed back, unable to defend against just two of Morpheus' team and Wake was still unable to rise. Bella was unconscious, defeated by their own teammate… How had things gone south so quickly?

Morpheus sighed at the Riolu's silence. "I see. You still need some convincing. Crass."

Furno snapped towards the Malamar, eyes wide with shock. "Crass? But isn't that…"

The Chesnaught lumbered forward towards the Malamar. Carelessly, he dropped Quill onto the ground at Morpheus' feet, eliciting a pained groan from the smaller grass-fighting type. Still caught between the line of consciousness and oblivion, Quill had no way of avoiding the scythe tentacle that was jammed into his side.

For one blissful moment, it was silent. The sounds of fighting behind them ceased. The wind was still. No chirps or trills from the woods' wild inhabitants echoed. It was almost serene. Then Quill began to scream.

Torn from unconsciousness, the Quilladin shrieked in absolute agony. His blood chilling scream deafened the battlefield. Crimson ichor freely spilled out of the wound as the dark-psychic type slowly twisted their tentacle into Quill's side. The Quilladin tried desperately to crawl away from his attack, but Morpheus just dug his scythe in deeper, forcing him to stay put or risk the blade digging in deeper.

"Quill!" Zero shouted, petrified.

"Stop it!" Weiss shouted, desperately pulling against the chain, but Cortex held firm, going as far as grabbing her horn, threatening to break it with his sheer strength.

Furno lunged at the Malamar, an almost rabid anger in his eyes, but was caught in the air by the Gothitelle's psychic hold. Furno struggled viciously in the hold, only to cry out in agony as the Astral Body Pokémon slowly began to close her outstretched hand.

Bogran too attempted to help, but was soon grabbed by the neck by the Chesnaught. The Spiny Armor Pokémon then reached out with his free hand and grabbed Noelle, her small body fitting almost completely within the grass-fighting type's palm, and stepping harshly on Dusty's back. He then slowly began to apply pressure on his captives, causing all three of them to scream in pain.

"No!" Zero roared. He stepped forward only to freeze as the Gothitelle increased the pressure on Furno, causing the Monferno to cry out. "Let them go!"

"Oh, I'll let them go," Morpheus said happily, only for a dark look to cross his face, "as soon as you surrender to me."

"M-Morpheus," the Milotic spoke up, her voice sounding unsure. "Is this truly necessary? This seems…extreme. I'm sure there are other ways to—"

"Be silent, Marvel," the ape-like Pokémon interrupted irritably. "The Emperor gave us a task that is to be completed no matter the cost."

The Milotic winced, bowing her head in acceptance.

"What's it going to be, Zero?!" Morpheus called, twisting his bladed tentacle deeper into the Quilladin, causing a fresh wave of screams to erupt from Quill. "Your life, or theirs?"

"Damn you." Blood practically roared in the young Riolu's ears. Fury unlike he had ever felt before flowed through him like water, boiling the blood in his veins. He wanted to smack the smug look off of the Malamar's face. To rip off his tentacles and beat those that dared harmed his friends with them!

But he couldn't.

As quickly as the rage came, it left, leaving Zero weak and scared. His team… his friends… They were in terrible. Tortured before his very eyes while he just stood there and watched. They were screaming. Crying out for someone to help them. To end their suffering.

"Zero!" The former human turned and saw Bolt and Seth rushing towards them, Mystic and Samuel trailing behind them. They were so close, but so far. They couldn't help. No one could. No one except…

"Choose!" Morpheus shouted; all previous evidence of his flippant demeanor gone. He pulled his tentacle free of its bloody confines, hovering the bladed tip over Quill's heart. "If not…"

"No, please!" Zero shouted desperately. "Please don't! I surrender! I surrender."

Zero fell to his knees, paws flat against the ground, and head bowed. All the fight had left him. "Please… Do what you want to me, just let them go."

"Zero…" Furno spoke, his voice choked with obvious pain. "Don't…"

The Riolu just shook his head. Unbidden tears fell from his eyes, splashing fruitlessly upon the grass. "No. I can't…I can't let you all be hurt anymore. Please," he pleaded with the Malamar, keeping his head bowed in submission, "let them go."

Morpheus regarded the Riolu impassively before a sick, satisfied grin marred his face. "Excellent."

It was at that moment, Team Surge arrived.

Bolt, being the fastest out of the team, weaved through the chaotic battle between his two teammates and their opponents followers, and lunged at the Malamar, electricity crackling like a violent storm. Seeing the Manectric, the Gothitelle swung her arm the arm keeping Furno held aloft at him, sending the fire-fighting type crashing into the electric type and sending them both to the ground.

Nearly at the same moment, Morpheus wrapped a tentacle around Quill's unmoving form and, with little effort, hurled the bulky Pokémon at Seth, forcing the Absol to halt his approach. In the same motion, he lashed out at Zero's still bowed form, the tentacle wrapping tightly around the Emanation Pokémon's neck and harshly pulling the Riolu towards him.

"Zero!" Furno cried out in alarm; arm outstretched to grab his friend as he hurtled past, but he was too slow.

Morpheus laughed cruelly, dangling the former human in the air almost as if he were taunting Furno. The poor Riolu kicked feebly in protest, bringing up his paws to instinctively clutch at the appendage wrapped around his throat.

"We have what we came for!" Morpheus shouted for all to hear. "We're leaving!" As he said this, his group moved in unison.

At once, the Chesnaught tossed and kicked his hostages away from him and lumbered closer to stand at Morpheus' side. The ape-like Pokémon did the same, using what appeared to be a burst of psychic type energy to push all of Team Dawn Breaker, Bolt, and Seth further away from the group. The Zoroark and Primeape disengaged from their battles (though the Primeape did not appear happy about this), nimbly avoiding their attackers to stand on either side of their group.

Teams Dawn Breaker and Surge, clambering to regain their footing and pursue the group, were met with Morpheus' victorious smirk as he continued to dangle the Riolu in front of them. The air around the group then seemed to undulate and warp as the eyes Xatu, Gothitelle, and Sableye began to glow with energy. At the same time, the Zoroark's eyes flashed blue, the air shimmering around them.

Uncaring of whatever was happening before him, Furno jumped to his feet and ran, desperate to save his friend. He was so close, just a few feet away from him. Furno reached a hand in a frenzied attempt to grab onto Zero and pull him to safety. The last thing he saw was Zero fearful, yet relieved face before his world erupted into blinding light.

An invisible force threw Furno onto his back several feet away, leaving the Playful Pokémon dazed. When he was finally able to rise up onto his elbows, the spots disappearing from his vision, he saw that Ashen Woods had changed. It seemed larger and expansive than before. More _twisted_. No sounds could be heard from within, leaving the field in deafening silence. An ominous chill seemed to emanate from behind the tree line.

Furno knew what this was, even if it was impossible. Ashen Woods had become a mystery dungeon…

And Zero was somewhere inside.

 **Author's Note:**

Phew. Long one. Anyway, I'm not dead, I've just been getting over of a bit of writer's block. Hopefully I'll be updating my stories more frequently than in the past. Also, when I was going back through my chapters to make sure I was getting all of my names correct, I noticed that I accidently referred to Hypno as Morpheus back in chapter 7 of part 2. Normally, I would go back and correct this, but, since then, I got a new laptop and almost none of my works transferred over from my old one, so I don't have the original document. So, unfortunately, I won't be able to change it. Hope that's okay with everyone. Anyway, feel free to leave a review, any and all suggestions are welcome so long as you're not giving me a two-page critique of everything I could and should be doing differently. Other than that, be well and thank you all for taking the time to read my story.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Rescue Part 1

Furno wasn't sure how much time had passed. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? He couldn't be sure. Not that it mattered to him anyway. Hardly anything mattered to the young Monferno. Not after what had just happened.

How had things ended up like this? He and Zero had come to rescue their team, recklessly believing that they were more than capable of that feat. They had retrieved their team, yes, but at the cost of their leader. Their friend. Zero had willingly given himself to spare their lives, handed himself over to those who would either kill him or hand him over to the Resistance's greatest enemy. He did all this for them.

A spark of familiar anger bubbled beneath the Monferno's skin, begging for release, to seek vengeance on the ones that took his friend, but the feeling fizzled out as quickly as it came. Crushed under the relentless feeling of helplessness that threatened to drown him.

Behind him, Furno could hear incessant chattering behind him. Team Surge. They were conversing with one another. Trying to figure out what went wrong. Furno ignored them. He ignored his team. Ignored the concerned looks they were sending him. He could only focus on how he failed.

The very ones that had taken their team now had their leader. Grabbed him before their eyes and dragged him into some twisted parody of a mystery dungeon. So close yet so far from his grasp. Furno could still see his friend reaching out for him before the dungeon closed on him. Furno could still see the fear hidden behind the reassuring smile Zero tried to maintain as he was dragged away.

"Dammit," Furno cursed under his breath. Cursing his own failures.

Furno wanted desperately to save his friend, but he couldn't find the will to take even a step into the odd dungeon. The memory of the rest of the ream, bound, their lives held in the lapse hands of Morpheus and his allies. How he had been just moments from death. That cold feeling it brought with it. He had been in danger before, but, not even when he faced Aster, had he ever thought…

…he would die.

For a brief moment, Furno couldn't feel his flame. He felt cold, colder than he ever had before. So cold that he found difficulty breathing. It was choking him. Slowly creeping across the edges of his throat and sealing off his airway until he couldn't draw in even a haggard gasp.

His hands twitched, the primal part of his mind lounging to clutch at his own throat in an attempt to alleviate what was keeping him from breathing, but they wouldn't move. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. What was he going to do? Zero was gone. His friend… Gone…

"Bella! Stop!"

Furno jolted. That was Quill. Quill was shouting. Quill…the rest of the team. They were there, with him at that moment.

With that single thought, Furno dragged himself out of the fog. His eyes opened (when had he closed them?) and, turning, he saw Quill physically restraining the Banette who appeared to be trying her hardest to maul Weiss, the Quilladin's vines being the only thing keeping her at bay. The aforementioned Absol was huddled on the ground, doing little to defend herself against the infuriated ghost.

Shaking the last residuals of his own self-loathing, Furno stumbled over to the group. "Belladonna. Stop."

The Banette froze upon hearing her full name. She turned and Furno could see anger and confusion waring behind pink eyes. Furno understood. She was lost without Zero. Maybe even more than he was. The way she acted around him, she followed him like a lost Growlithe. Without him…

Furno placed a hand on the Banette's shoulder, praying to Arceus his hand wasn't shaking as much as he thought it was. "It's okay. We'll get through this. We'll…" The words died in his throat. What would they do? Get Zero back? They had just barely escaped with their lives. How could he ask them to face that kind of threat again?

"I'm sorry," Weiss' voice said, sounding so small and helpless that it took a moment for Furno to realize it was really her speaking. He turned to her, meeting her broken, tear stained gaze.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, her voice sounding more broken the second time.

"I-It's okay," Furno said, his voice cracking.

"No, it's not," Weiss said despondently looking like she might start crying. "I…I attacked Bella. She was moving to help us. To help Zero, but I attacked her." She shook her head. "I don't know why, but…I just…couldn't stop myself. It's like I was watching my own body act on its own accord. I—" She broke off, bowing her head; her voice cracking. Her shoulders shook violently as she tried desperately to hold in her sobs.

Furno was at a loss of what to do. Weiss was only ways the strong one. The one member of the team that was always resolute and focused. Seeing her break down like she was…it made the false mask of calm and strength the Monferno was wearing crack and slip.

The rest of the team was no better. Expressions of sadness and defeat were worn all around. Bella, who had calmed down, looked completely lost. She kept glancing towards Ashen Woods as if she would charge in at any moment, but, blessedly, she remained rooted in her spot. Quill had a look of fury and self-loathing written across his face; most likely having learned that he had been a key hostage while he was unconscious.

Once more, the urge to comfort and reassure the team arose in Furno, but was quickly smothered by his own guilt and despair. Zero was the leader. He was the one that should be rallying the team, not Furno. But he wasn't there. He was gone…

The sound of grass crunching underfoot was the only thing that kept Furno from falling into the void once more. Looking up, he saw Seth and the rest of Team Surge approaching, their expressions grim.

"Take the rest of your team and head back to the Latios Division," Seth said before Furno could speak. "Go straight to the tribunal and tell them what transpired. Stop for nothing else."

"What about you guys?" Furno asked.

"We're going after Morpheus," Seth answered, his expression never changing.

"What?!" Furno exclaimed, taken aback. "You can't go after them alone!"

"We can and we will," Seth stated firmly, his eyes narrowing at the fire-fighting type. "You all will only hold us back."

Furno winced at the Absol's bluntness, but didn't refute his words. The images of what Morpheus and his goons had done to him and the rest of Team Dawn Breaker were still fresh in the young Monferno's mind. "Even so…"

"Furno, you have to realize that this isn't something that you should have ever been involved in," Bolt said sympathetically. "Morpheus and his allies were far more powerful than we first anticipated. We underestimated them…"

"A mistake we won't make again," Wake growled, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

"but the fact of the matter is that none of you should be involved in this any further," Bolt continued, hardly sparing the Poliwrath a passing glance. "We will see to it that Zero is rescued and returned to the Latios Division."

"But he's our leader!" Quill argued.

"Not to mention that you guys, and I mean no offense by this, got your butts handed to you by those guys," Bogran pointed out.

"Like I said, we underestimated them," Bolt said.

"And you're not going. Period," Seth growled, leveling a quelling glare towards the mutinous Quilladin.

"But even if you guys go after them, you'd still have to go through that dungeon. They'd be miles away by the time you got through it!" Furno stated. It still baffled him how Morpheus was able to summon a mystery dungeon like that. Part of him even wondered if that's what it was, but Furno could never forget the dangerous aura that mystery dungeons seemed to give off. Not after all of the one he'd entered.

"That's not an actual mystery dungeon," Mystic said. "It is an artificial dungeon created through the liberal use of Trick Room, Wonder Room, and Magic Room along with a strong illusion provided by their Zoroark. Unlike an actual mystery dungeon, this one doesn't contain dungeon Pokémon, just the ones that were present when it was created, including its creators. This means that Morpheus and the others will have to navigate through the dungeon the same as us. Unlike us, however, they won't know where they are going while we will be tracking them the entire way. Even with their considerable head start, we will no doubt catch up to them."

The group spoke with such certainty that Furno almost wanted to believe them. He desperately wanted to hold onto the hope that Zero could be saved, but… "But what if…what if Zero's already…" Furno couldn't bring himself to say those words.

A heavy silence fell over the group. Everyone, even Team Surge, seemed to be at a loss of what to say. Furno felt a spike of guilt cut through him as the confidence and bravado that the senior team had been displaying wavered. After several moments, Seth spoke, his voice calculated and measured.

"It is unlikely that Morpheus took Zero simply to…kill him. If that were his goal, he would have done the deed as soon as he grabbed Zero. On top of that, the fact that the Emperor sent Morpheus rather than someone like Aster to oversee his capture leads me to believe that an assassination wasn't their goal."

"You mean hypnosis," Quill said, his eyes widening in horror. "Morpheus is going to try and mind control Zero! Like he did to Cress…" he mumbled as an afterthought.

Seth nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so. That is why we must hurry. The longer Zero is in his clutches, the greater the chance that it will be too late by the time we reach them. We have no time to spare."

"Then—" Quill made to argue, but Seth cut him off.

"No. You all will go back to the Latios Division and tell them what happened. That's an order." Seth glared at the Quilladin, daring him to say something in contrast. Eventually, the grass-fighting type broke eye contact and looked at the ground. Seemingly satisfied, Seth turned to the rest of the team. "Let's go."

With silent nodded of ascent, Team Surge trudged towards the dungeon's entrance. Bolt and Liz both offered the younger team reassuring smiles, but they felt hollow to the Monferno. It felt… _wrong_ letting someone else rescue _their_ leader, but all Furno could do was watch as Team Surge disappeared into the dungeon.

A second passed. Then several. Until final a full minute had gone by in silence for the remaining members of Team Dawn Breaker. Eventually, Bogran spoke.

"So…now what?"

Furno closed his eyes, finally breaking his line of sight with the damned woods. "We go back to the Latios Division," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

"What?! Are you kidding me?!" Quill exclaimed, enraged. "We can't just leave!"

"We were given an order," Furno said through clenched teeth.

"Screw that!" Quill growled. "This is Zero we're talking about! We can't just leave him like this! We have to do something!"

"There's nothing for us _to_ do!" Furno snapped angrily. He opened his eyes and glared at the furious Spiny Armor Pokémon. "Team Surge will handle it—"

"It should be _us_ handling it, not them!" Quill argued, stepping into Furno's space and leaning in so that their noses were inches apart. "Zero is _our_ teammate. Our leader. We should be the ones going after him and rescuing him!"

"We would just hold them back!"

"The hell we would! We can—" Whatever Quill was going to say was lost as Furno finally had enough.

Without warning, Furno lunged forward, planting his fist firmly into the Quilladin's side. Directly over where Morpheus had pierced the grass-fighting type. As Quill cried out, Furno sent a sweep kick towards Quill's legs, sending the bulky Pokémon crashing to the ground. Before the Quilladin could recover, Furno slammed his foot onto his chest, pinning him to the and leveling his fist towards Quill's face.

The others all tensed, prepared to jump in and restrain the Monferno, but Furno did not continue. He simply stood there, just as frozen as Quill was. No one spoke for several tense seconds; the only sounds being Furno's ragged breathing.

"We can't do anything!" Furno hissed furiously. " _We_ were the reason Zero was captured. He got captured because of _us_! If he hadn't given himself up, we'd be dead or worse. What the hell could we do now?!"

A sharp itch bit at Furno eyes; his eyes becoming slightly blurred as began to fill with angry tears. He ferociously rubbed at his face, returning his glare towards the still frozen Quilladin. "We were helpless. Completely at their mercy! If were fought them again, we'd die! I mean, look at us! Look at _you_! You're in no condition to fight! We'd die and Zero would still be in their hands! There's _nothing_ we can do! There's…nothing…"

Slowly, the anger began to drain from Furno. He lowered his fist and stepped off of Quill. He shivered. No, he shook. He shook so violently that he resorted to wrapping his arms around himself in a futile attempt to stop his shaking.

"We can't beat them. We have to go back…" Furno whispered. He turned around, turning his back on Ashen Woods and his team. He took a step forward, not even glancing back to see if anyone was following him. He had to do as he was instructed.

Step.

He had to report back to the Tribunal…

Step.

He had to tell them what had happened…

Step.

What had happened to Zero…

Step.

While leaving Zero behind.

Ste—

Furno couldn't move. His body was locked in place, not so much as twitching despite his best attempts.

"I have to go," he said, not caring who heard. "I have to tell the Tribunal what happened…"

The tears were flowing now. He couldn't stop them. He didn't care to stop them.

"There's nothing any of us can do," he tried to reason. "Those guys…they're too strong for us."

Memories flashed before his eyes, unbidden by his will. Meeting Zero. Joining the Latios Division. Their first mission. Their fight. Zero stepping in front of the Beedrill…

"I can't do anything."

Zero cheering alongside him at their first successful mission. Zero comforting him after his parents' betrayal. Zero's smile. Zero's look of determination. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero! ZERO!

"We can't do anything!" Furno shouted. Fire roared from his throat, billowing into the setting sunlight. It stopped a second later, the flame on his tail dwindling at the same moment. "So why can't I leave him behind?"

Furno collapsed, falling to his knees. Tears cascaded down his face in droves, splashing noiselessly against the grass. He'd never felt so lost. Not even when his parents sold him out to Aster.

 _That was because was there for him._

Zero had always been there for him, through the thick and thin. Yet, despite that, he was going to abandon the Riolu. Because he wasn't strong enough. He wasn't strong like Zero. He was weak and a coward. Zero deserved better than him.

A cold hand touched Furno's shoulder, causing the Monferno to jerk up. Bella floated there, hand still outstretched, her face blank. She didn't move or give any indication of wanting to speak. She just stared at Furno, and somehow, Furno knew what she wanted to say. He knew what she wanted them to do. What they _should_ do.

Furno broke eye contact, turning back to the ground. He was scared. Scared dying, but most of all, scared of losing his best friend. He couldn't leave things like they were. Not while there was still breath in his lungs.

With a shaky inhale, he looked up again, conveying his thanks to the Banette through his eyes. He stood on shaky legs and turned to his team. "We're going after them."

"What?" Bogran asked, taken aback. A sentiment that was shared throughout the group.

"I thought you said we weren't strong enough," Quill sneered spitefully.

"We're not," Furno said bluntly. "I still doubt that we'd be able to defeat that group, even if we all were at a hundred percent, but I can't just turn my back on Zero. Not after what he's done for me."

Furno looked over the team, taking time to examine each of their expressions. "However, I can't ask you all to risk your lives like this. If you want, you can go back to the Latios Division and speak with the Tribunal. There will be no judgement, hard feelings, or resentment towards those who decide to leave, but I will be going. Who's with me?"

Instantly, Bella hovered to his side, giving a chur of ascent. Not a second passed before Quill got to his feet. He glared at Furno, but in a much milder manner than before. After a second, he nodded in ascent.

Furno nodded to them, inwardly grateful that he wouldn't have to go alone. "Anyone else?"

The remaining members glanced at one another in silence. Several seconds passed before Dusty stepped forward. The Sandshrew's blue eyes burned with a passion Furno had rarely seen in the typically stoic ground type, but it was a welcomed sight to the Monferno.

Next, Bogran stepped forward, giving his own determined grin. Surprisingly, Noelle stepped forward next. The small ice type looked like a strong wind would knock her over, but there was a fire behind ice blue eyes. Furno smiled before turning to their last teammate.

"Weiss?"

The red Absol flinched, her head still bowed. After a moment she took a deep breath before rising to her feet. Turning to face Furno, her bloodshot eyes steeled with resolution. She gave a single nod and Furno smiled.

"Alright then," he said, turning to Ashen Woods. "Let's go get our leader back."

-Resistance-

 **Ashen Woods: B1**

The second Team Dawn Breaker entered the dungeon, they could hear the distant sounds of fighting. Without hesitation, the group charged forward.

"What do you know about Morpheus' group?" Furno al but demanded as they ran.

"Not much I'm afraid," Dusty responded. "They caught us by surprise when we first encountered them. We did not have much opportunity to note any individual skills that they may have possessed. That being said, we can theorize on the abilities of several of their number."

"Explain."

"Well, aside from the obvious illusion manipulation of the Zoroark, a common trait of their species, they also proved to be incredibly quick in their movements and attacks. Aside from that, the Xatu with the group seemed to display some type of precognitive ability considering how they were able to predict Team Surge's attacks and appearances with near pinpoint accuracy."

Furno frowned at Dusty's description of the Xatu. He too had noted how the psychic-flying type seemed to be able to predict not only where Team Surge was and when they would strike. He had heard tales about Xatu staring at the sun in order to gain some insight on future events, but he'd never put much stock in such stories.

"Furthermore, there is the matter of the unknown Pokémon with them," Dusty continued.

"The one with the purple furred cap and fan," Furno clarified.

The Sandshrew nodded. "Yes, he, along with the Milotic appear to be the only members of the group that are actual soldiers, given that they wore the Emperor's mark. The former, Cortex I believe he was called, is a species of Pokémon that I don't recognize, even from books. I would wager that he is a psychic type of sorts, considering his ability to manipulate the minds of others…" Dusty glanced at Weiss, meeting the Absol's gaze briefly before turning back to Furno. "That being said, most psychic abilities have little to no effect on dark types, making it strange that he was able to effect Weiss like he was."

"Difficult, but not impossible," Quill said surprisingly. "Dark types typically have stronger, nearly infallible, innate mental barriers when compared to other types, allowing them to shrug off the mental effects most psychic type moves leave on a target. It's why a dark type can be lifted with Psychic, yet suffers yet takes no damage from the psychic hold itself. It's said that that barrier extends to outside their bodies as well, protecting them against the few physical psychic attacks out there."

Quill shook his head having gone on a tangent. "Regardless, there are a few psychic types out there, either extremely old and well-practiced, or just incredibly powerful, that are able to overcome that 'cloak' and effect even dark types with their power. That being said, dark types have an easier time breaking free long-term mental manipulation or impairment. More so than any other type of Pokémon," he added as almost an afterthought.

Furno glanced at the Quilladin. It didn't take a genius nor an emotion reader to know the significance of his final statement. It was no wonder the typically carefree Pokémon knew so much about psychic types and their abilities. Not when Crass was involved…

"Then we can reason that Cortex is incredibly adept and skilled in psychic manipulation," Furno reasoned.

"Not just that, but, if the groups reason for capturing Zero really is to control him, he might not have long," Quill said grimly. "Fighting types are especially weak to psychic attack. Our bodies are more geared for withstanding physical assaults leaving us practically helpless against psychic types. The Riolu line, because of their sensitivity to aura, have _some_ resistance, especially Lucario given their dual typing, but Riolu…"

Quill didn't need to finish his sentence. All of them knew the gravity of their situation. They didn't have any time to lose.

The group rounded another corner just as another loud explosion ripped through the eerie silence of the false dungeon. Coming to an open room, the group of young Pokémon came upon the sight of Team Surge being overrun.

Large numbers of forest dwelling Pokémon were flooding into the room from the tall walls of trees framing the dungeon, surrounding the team and threatening to overwhelm them. Seth and the others were fighting valiantly, pushing back the horde and defeating numerous Pokémon with very few moves. Occasionally, one sneak past their lines and deliver sharp blows to the defending team, but they were quickly dealt with swiftly. Even so, the horde seemed endless.

"I thought this dungeon wasn't supposed to have Pokémon in it!" Bogran gasped.

"The wild Pokémon present within the woods before it was transformed would still be present within the dungeon as it was created," Dusty pointed out. An uneasy and concerned look crossed the ground type's features. "Even so…for this many Pokémon to suddenly appear and attack without provocation…"

Furno frowned, a sliver of fear flickering within his inner fire. Could Morpheus and Cortex have the ability to rile up wild Pokémon to this extent? If that was the case, how had they rounded up so many Pokémon in such a short period of time? And, above all else, how were they supposed to compete with such numbers?

A dark blur raced past Furno's vison, jolting the Monferno from his thoughts. "Bella, no!"

The Banette gave no indication that she had heard Furno and continued her rush. Flying through the room, the ghost type passed through several Pokémon as she made a bee line for the left-most wall. Several wild Pokémon turned and moved to attack her, but she just phased through them. Just before she reached the wall, Bella suddenly jerked to the right and swung a shadowy claw at what appeared to be open air.

To Furno's shock, Bella's attack seemed to hit something. Not a second later, the room shimmered then broke like glass. At once, all of the Pokémon that had been attacking Team Surge vanished and a familiar Zoroark stood alone, their arms raised in front of them to block Bella's attack.

"Infernal ghost!" the Zoroark, a female by their tone, roared in fury.

The Illusion Fox Pokémon gave an enraged howl before swinging their arms outwards, pushing Bella away from her. She attempted to then attack the Banette, but Bella managed to slip away using Phantom Force. She made to charge the group, but was stopped by a high-pressured torrent of water smashing into her body.

"Gotcha," Wake said with a noticeable smirk.

"Furno?!" Seth asked, surprise, confusion, and anger all flickering behind crimson orbs. "What are—!"

"We're here to help!" Furno shouted back, running over to the Absol. "Zero's our leader and our friend! We can't just sit by and while he's in danger!"

Seth looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. Rage bubbling within his eyes, he opened his mouth to either reprimand or shout at the young team, or possibly both, when he was interrupted by a harried Mystic.

"There's no time, Seth! They've moved on further into the dungeon. We don't have time to waste! We must pursue them!"

Seth glared harshly, red eyes flitting between Team Dawn Breaker and his own team. With an annoyed growl, Seth spoke. "Fine. It's clear to me that your team is terrible at following even the simplest of instructions. However, you will listen to me now." The Absol leaned in, his voice soft yet carried over the young team with an unmistakable edge of danger. "You will accompany us through the dungeon. You _will_ follow every order that you are given without question. If I say jump, you will jump. If I say fight, you will fight. If I say run, you _will_ run. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Furno responded with only a small amount of fear.

Seth stared deep into Furno's eyes, trying to find some sign of deceit. After several seconds, he appeared to have found nothing of the sorts. He backed away and nodded. "Good. Then we must go…"

"You aren't going anywhere!" The Zoroark had made her way back to her feet and positioned herself in front of the path needed for their progression. Her bright blue eyes glared maliciously at the two groups. She growled as the air shimmered around her as reality began to warp around her. "You won't stand in our—"

The Zoroark's words ceased as a two red beams of light, wide and conical like search beams, enveloped her. The dark type gave a startled yelp as the illusions she had been crafting suddenly became see through before fading.

"What…?" Furno turned towards the source of the light and saw Bella, her eyes shining with bright red light. "Foresight," Furno realized.

"Dammit!" the Zoroark screeched. Her red claws seemed to glow an even brighter crimson. "No matter. I won't let you—"

Once again, the dark type was interrupted, this time by Wake charging at her. With glowing fists, the Poliwrath rocketed towards her, swinging harshly at the tall vulpine when he got close. While caught of guard, the Zoroark was still incredibly agile and was able to avoid Wake's swings, but she was being pushed back. Away from the path.

"All of you, go!" Wake shouted, sending an ice coated fist at the Zoroark, catching her arm and leaving a thin trail of ice running along said arm. "I'll hold her off!"

"Her illusions!" Mystic warned, but Wake waved her off.

"You with me?" he asked, glancing towards Bella.

The Banette glanced at Furno in a silent question. Furno gave a short nod. "Go ahead. We'll get Zero back. I promise."

Bella stared at Furno for a second longer before grinning widely. She turned back to the Poliwrath and gave a determined shriek. Without further provocation, she formed a Shadow Ball and hurled it at the Zoroark. The dark type dodged the attack, of course, but Wake simply laughed.

"Alright then! While I would have liked another go at that Milotic, I suppose I do have a job to do. Let's show this upstart what it means to mess with the Resistance!" Wake shouted almost gleefully, charging the Zoroark once more, Bella following him shortly after.

"Let's go," Seth said, already making his way towards the path. "With Bella stopping the Zoroark's illusions, Wake is more than capable of handling that Zoroark."

Pacified by Seth's words, the two groups quickly followed, leaving the two Resistance members to fight the Zoroark alone. Furno paused at the mouth of the path, looking back at Wake and Bella as the battled against the Zoroark.

"Stay safe," he murmured before running after the group.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Rescue Part 2

True to Mystic's words, the group encountered no dungeonous Pokémon. Occasionally, they heard confused and slightly angered calls from the wild Pokémon trapped within the false dungeon, but they paid them no mind. With Seth and Team Surge leading the way, the group sprinted through the maze, the Absol's brilliant red eyes trained on the path before them.

To Furno, it seemed like the Absol was leading them in a random direction, but he knew better. The certainty that the Monferno saw in his posture and gaze made it obvious that Seth was following some sort of trail.

As he ran, Furno couldn't help glancing behind him. Worry coursed through him like a cancer. Having left a team member behind to fend against one of the Pokémon that had defeated his team with ease was did not sit well with the Monferno. That Zoroark was strong, Furno knew that just from the short amount of time he had watched the monstrous fox battle. Taking that into account, along with Bella's typing, the chances that the ghost type would be victorious…

Furno violently shook his head, shaking the dark thoughts free of his mind. Bella wasn't alone. She had Wake with her. The Poliwrath could definitely handle the dark type, especially with its illusions rendered useless by the Banette. Not to mention, out of all of Team Dawn Breaker, Furno wagered Bella was the strongest of them.

Furno faced forward once more. He didn't need to worry. Bella would be fine.

"How large is this dungeon?" Weiss asked, breaking the silence. "Do we need to worry about going through multiple floors in order to reach them, or…?"

"No, this mystery dungeon is a single floor," Mystic responded. "A false dungeon merely manipulates the area incapsulated, it is not complex enough to add extra layers to it. In reality, this dungeon is only as large as the actual Ashen Woods."

"Just more confusing," Samuel added helpfully.

"Thankfully, it will be just as _confusing_ to Morpheus and his group," Mystic said, sparing the Abomasnow a withering glance. "As such, we have a much higher chance of encountering them before they can escape."

"And we're sure that we're going the right way?" Bogran asked.

"Seth knows where we're going," Jasmine snapped, her eyes harsh.

The Marshtomp gave a startled 'eep', effectively cowed by the Liepard. Liz rolled her eyes at her teammate before addressing Team Dawn Breaker with a much gentler tone. "You can trust Seth," she said. "He's adept when it comes to tracking."

"All Absol are," Weiss added under her breath, though Furno was able to hear her.

The group once more fell into an uneasy silence. They kept running for several more minutes, none of them willing to taper their speed. It wasn't long before they reached another clearing, this one with four branching paths, one continuing straight, two parallel paths extending right, and a single path that led towards the left. Reaching the center, Seth paused, his gaze shifting to each path.

"What's wrong?" Furno asked.

Seth frowned, still observing the paths. "There are tracks leading down each path."

"They split up?" Liz questioned in surprise.

"Most likely as an attempt to stall us," Seth growled. "They must have anticipated that we'd follow."

"Well, can you tell which path Morpheus took?" Furno asked anxiously. "We just need to find him."

"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find his tracks the entire time we've been searching," Seth responded. "He most likely has been levitating the entire time."

"Then he might have been going down an entirely different path while we've been following the rest of his group!" Furno exclaimed, panic beginning to set in his voice.

"Calm down!" Seth snapped, causing the Monferno to freeze. "While that is entirely a possibility, I don't think Morpheus would separate himself completely. He's a coward, always hiding behind others, even if they're his puppets. It's more likely that he is down one of these paths."

"Then how do we precede?" Weiss questioned. "Do you know which member went down each path?"

Seth looked around, carefully eyeing the tracks that led down each separate path. "We'll have to split up," he said finally. "I only have a rough idea of which members went down each path, though I can't find the Xatu's, Chesnaught's, nor the Milotic's tracks. The other psychic types must be levitating the latter two in order to keep their locations hidden."

Quill tensed at the mention of the Chesnaught, but said nothing. The members of Team Dawn Breaker looked at the Quilladin in worry, but none of them dared to say anything.

Taking another moment to observe the paths, Seth turned to face the group. "Judging by the tracks, it appears that the Primeape took the top rightmost path and the Gothitelle took the path below it. The Sableye went straight and…the ape-like Pokémon went left." A flicker of annoyance flashed across the Absol's face. Clearly, he disliked the notion of knowing nothing about a Pokémon. "We'll have to precede with caution. Those three could appear at any given location."

"So how will we split up?" Furno asked impatiently.

Seth eyed the Monferno with distaste, making it clear that he wished nothing more than to send him and the rest of his team back to the division. However, Furno stood his ground, meeting the Disaster Pokémon's glare with one of his own. Eventually, Seth looked away and addressed the entire group.

"Liz, you will take the path towards the Primeape. Its species are known for their brute strength and relentless rage, so you'll need all of your strength if you want to be able to beat it."

"Understood," Liz responded with a short nod.

"Bogran and Dusty will also go," Seth added, looking at each Pokémon as he named them. "It will be up to you three to both weather the Primeape's attacks and support Liz any way you can."

"Got it," Samuel said while Bogran and Dusty nodded determinedly.

Nodding in respond, Seth returned his gaze to the rest of the group. "Mystic, you will be taking both Quill and Noelle to face the Gothitelle." Seth sent the Meowstic a meaningful look. "Gothitelle are powerful psychic types, I'm trusting that you can keep them in check with your own abilities."

"It is within my capabilities," Mystic responded, something akin to determination glowing within her eyes.

"Good," Seth said curtly. He turned to the others he mentioned. "While I don't doubt Mystic's capabilities, you three will also be assisting. Attack from afar and keep out of the Gothitelle's psychic grip."

"Wait, wouldn't it be better for me to go down another path?" Quill interjected. "I'm part fighting type. The Gothitelle—"

"You have a long-ranged bug type move, Pin Missile, correct?" Seth interrupted coldly. At Quill's hesitant nod, Seth continued. "That gives you an advantage. Don't be careless enough to get hit by a psychic move and you'll be fine."

Quill gulped, but nodded his head. His fingers curled into tight fists as he forced himself to remember what he was here for. His friend. His brother. He would have to risk everything to save them.

Staring a second longer at the Quilladin, Seth's gaze shifted to Noelle. The small ice type was shaking fervently. Much more than what was common for their species. "Any other objections?" he asked, his voice cold and harsh.

Noelle flinched at the question, her eyes shifting up to meet the Absol's before flickering back down. It was obvious to anyone that looked at the Snow Hat Pokémon that she was nervous, even terrified. It was a pitiful sight. Yet, despite the clear fear, the little Snorunt was refusing to step back.

Holding his gaze for a moment, Seth relented with a sigh. "Next, Bolt. You, Samuel, and Weiss will pursue the Sableye," he said, turning to the Manectric. "Sableye are tricky Pokémon. They're not typically ones for head-to-head confrontation, so expect cheap tactics and traps. You and Weiss will need to rely on your speed to catch it while Samuel, your focus is to impede its movements."

"Got it," Bolt said.

"Should be a piece of cake," Samuel said, cracking his knuckles.

Weiss was silent, but she nodded her head nonetheless. Her teal eyes were narrowed in anticipation.

Nodding to the group, Seth then turned to the final two Pokémon. "Jasmine and Furno, we'll be going after the final member of the group. Admittedly, we know very little about our target other than they appear to be a psychic type. Jasmine, you and I will be the primary damage dealers while you, Furno, will stay back and assist when you have the opportunity. Keep your distance, however," Seth added with a sharp glare towards the Monferno.

Furno just nodded, his tail flame flickering wildly. Next to him, Jasmine gave a simple nod of acceptance.

With the assignments given, Seth addressed the group again. "We aren't entirely sure of our enemies' capabilities nor the location of the three wild cards, so proceed with caution. Team Dawn Breaker, you all _will_ listen to those the members of my team that are with you. They are in charge. If they tell you to run, you will run. Is that clear?"

The younger team all nodded, their faces set in determination. Seeing this, Seth continued. "And, remember, our goal is to find Morpheus and rescue Zero, not to defeat the others. If you are given the chance to pursue Morpheus, pursue him. The others are not a priority. Understood?"

"Understood!" they all chorused.

Seth nodded. "Alright then. Let's move."

-Resistance-

Weiss would be lying if she said that she wasn't nervous. No, she was more than just nervous. She was terrified. To be honest, she didn't know why. She had been in numerous dangerous situations in the past. It was a hazard of being part of the Resistance, but, for whatever reason, this felt different.

Maybe it was the fact that she was going after trained Pokémon and not just some petty crook or some mindless dungeonous Pokémon. Or, maybe it was because of how easy she and the rest of Team Dawn Breaker had been defeated by the very Pokémon they were pursuing.

A cold lump of dread settled in the Absol's stomach, causing her to shudder. Yeah, it was probably the latter of the two. Back when she and the others were captured, seeing her friends' morale crushed. Seeing Quill battered and bruised, it scared her. It scared her more than anything she had ever experienced. Yet, here she was, running right back into danger.

Weiss sighed inwardly. "I must be crazy…"

"Are you alright, Weiss?" The off-colored Absol startled, eyes flying to the large ice-grass type's concerned pale purple.

"Y-Yeah," Weiss answered, wincing at her own weak stutter.

The Abomasnow hummed in response. When the Frost Tree Pokémon didn't comment any further, Weiss allowed herself to relax. This wasn't the time to be afraid. Her team's leader, her _friend_ , was in danger. She couldn't—"

"You know," Samuel suddenly said, startling the Absol, "it's alright to be afraid. It's a natural reaction to being in a situation like this."

"I-I'm not scared!" Weiss exclaimed, affronted. "I'm just…thinking of the best way to approach the coming battle!"

Samuel just hummed again, sending the off-colored Pokémon a side eye. He clearly didn't believe her. Glancing past the larger Pokémon, she noticed that Bolt had also turned his attention towards her, his expression holding note of concern. Weiss simply 'harrumphed', flicking her head upwards and refusing to meet either Pokémon's gaze.

She didn't need either Pokémon telling her how she felt or how she _should_ feel. How she felt was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. What mattered was the mission and assuring its completion. Emotions had no place in the field. Especially for a Pokémon like her…

"You know, being part of a strong team doesn't mean you can't show emotions," Bolt stated.

The sudden comment caught Weiss off-guard. She froze yet, at the same time, continued running, causing her to stumble and nearly fall before she regained her balance. "H-Huh?"

"Like Samuel said, its only natural to be afraid out in the field," Bolt continued, keeping his eyes forward. "Fear, anger, sadness, joy…all of those feelings are natural. You don't have to push all of that down in order to perform well on a mission."

Weiss frowned. "Emotions lead to rushed and haphazard plans and actions. A member of the Resistance can't afford to show emotion in the face of the enemy or the entire mission could be put in jeopardy."

Bolt just shook his head, a small smile on his muzzle. "Jeez, what are they teach kids in the academy. Tell me, Weiss, does Quill take you as the 'unemotional' type? Or Furno for that matter?"

"Well, no, but…"

"And are they incompetent?" Bolt asked with a knowing look.

Weiss was about to answer, but paused. While she would be the first to admit that Quill could be…gung-ho during missions, he was competent in combat and more than willing to protect a teammate from harm, even if he did have to be reined in every once in a while. Furno was the same, if not more reserved, despite his more recent irate attitude as of late (though he has become better).

"N-No," Weiss admitted.

"Exactly," Bolt said. "Even Seth, believe it or not, does in fact have emotions. Granted, most of them are irritation and grumpiness, but they're emotions nonetheless."

Bolt chuckled at his own joke, only stopping when he noticed that Weiss was still frowning. "Listen, Weiss. While keeping a clear head about you is always good, becoming completely emotionless will only hurt you."

"Yeah, well expressing myself will only hurt me," Weiss muttered bitterly.

"I'm guessing that's because of the whole _Bloody Absol_ thing?" Samuel questioned.

This time, Weiss did freeze. She abruptly stopped in the middle of the path, rooted on the spot. Both Bolt and Samuel paused, glancing backwards when they saw that they weren't being followed.

"Weiss?" Samuel asked.

"…" Weiss didn't respond. She just stood stock still. Her head bowed; her eyes unfocused.

"Dammit, Samuel," Bolt hissed, shooting the ice-grass type a heated glare before slowly approaching the Absol. "Weiss?"

"…"

Bolt sighed. "Look, I won't begin trying to understand what you are going through, but…"

"Shh!"

Bolt blinked back his surprise. "What? Weiss, I get that this is a sore topic, but—"

"I said, shush!" Weiss hissed. Her fur was standing on end; a sharp tingle of dread shot down her spine.

Bolt frowned, noting the Absol's sudden change in demeanor. "What is it?"

Weiss remained silent, her gaze shifting from left to right. All Absol possessed the innate ability to sense coming disasters. The slightest change in the atmosphere, the most minute underground shift, all of these were privy to any nearby Absol. However, this ability goes further than simply detecting natural disasters. Few Absol possess, what they call, a sixth sense: a 'feeling' of impending danger or strife that rivaled a vicious storm. A feeling like a cold blade slowly being pressed down their spines. A feeling that Weiss was feeling at that very moment.

A sudden prickling at the base of her neck set the Absol in motion. "Get down!" she shouted as she lunged towards Samuel.

"Huh?" The Abomasnow didn't have any time to react before Weiss barreled into him, sending them both crashing to the ground. Not a second later, a dark purple blur flew through the air, passing right over their downed forms.

The blur landed roughly on the ground, stirring up a small dust cloud as they skid to a halt. Stretching to its not impressive height, the Sableye grinned jaggedly at the trio. "Damn. I was hoping that I'd at least be able to take one of you down like that. A well." He laughed; seemingly nonchalant about his attack missing.

Samuel and Weiss scrambled to their feet, Bolt rushing to stand at their side. "Where's Zero?" the Manectric snarled, baring his fangs.

"Not here, obviously," the Sableye said; his grin never fading. He shifted slightly, moving so that he was standing directly in the center of the path. "He's further in the dungeon, unless Morpheus got lost along the way."

Weiss' eyes narrowed. The path, while not terribly narrow, didn't off a lot of wiggle room. Even now, she was standing slightly behind Bolt, who stood behind Samuel. The Abomasnow took up almost the entire corridor. If they wanted to progress, they would have to deal with the Sableye.

"You won't win this fight," Samuel boasted confidently, making a show out of flexing his massive arms while taking a step forward. "If you don't want to get hurt, I recommend surrendering."

The Sableye took a step back as a response, but his grin never faded. "Oooh. Scary. All three of you against little old me. It's just too much."

The Sableye looked nervous to Weiss, despite their borderline creepy smile. He didn't seem like an incredibly strong Pokémon, at least not in terms of brute strength or raw power. Yet he willing exposed himself rather than leading the trio around. What was the Darkness Pokémon planning, and why did Weiss still feel an impending disaster?

"You're right, though," the Sableye commented. "As I am now, I'd be helpless against the three of you. Thankfully, however, I've got an ace."

Before the trio of Resistance members could question what the ghost meant, he pulled out a spherical yellow stone with a red and purple spiral in the center. Seeing the item, Bolt paled in realization. "That stone…" he said.

"That's right!" the Sableye said with a gleeful laugh. "It's time to go beyond!"

At those words, the small orb glowed brightly, bathing the entire corridor in a near blinding red light. Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, in an attempt to block out the light. That light, despite the color, there was no mistaking it. It was the light of evolution.

"This was what Zero and Furno warned us about," Weiss heard Bolt say. "An extra evolution that goes beyond the line of a species."

The red light died down, revealing their enemy. There, standing behind a two-foot, bright red crystal, was the Sableye. His ears elongated and spike now grew from his head. His once pale blue, crystal-like eyes now glowed with a blood red, mirroring the crystal it held before it. In the center of its chest, a small trickle of black ichor dripped from the gaping hole that now rested there.

The newly evolved Sableye regarded the group with an unreadable expression before he grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth. "So, tell me…" the Sableye said; there voice sounded distorted, as if they were speaking over an echo, "do you still think you can win?"

-Resistance-

Liz, Bogran, and Dusty were immediately put on edge when they saw their target seemingly waiting for them in the middle of a large clearing. The Pig Monkey Pokémon stood in the very center of the clearing, back turned towards the group and appearing completely unconcerned. Liz raised her hand, gesturing for the younger two to stay behind her, and cautiously edged forward. Her eyes roamed over the immediate area, searching for any sign of a trap or any Pokémon waiting for an ambush.

"Will you hurry up and get in here?!" the gruff voice of the Primeape shouted. "There aren't any traps, if that's what you're worried about."

Liz frowned, but stepped into the room, gesturing for Dusty and Bogran to stay back. "You're along?" she asked, still not fully trusting the Primeape.

The fighting type turned; a deep scowl struck across his face. "I don't anyone to tell me how to do things." He eyed the Nidoqueen, seemingly sizing her up. Glancing behind her, he took note of the two others behind her and sneered. "Seriously? Jeez. Talk about a disappointment."

Liz blinked. "What?"

"I was hoping they'd send that Poliwrath after me," the Primeape confessed. "At least a fellow fighting type would put up a better fight. Then again, he can't be all that strong if that water worm beat him." The Primeape snorted aggravatedly. "At least this will be over quickly…"

"What do you—" Liz tried to question the Primeape, but was cut off as the Primeape suddenly lunged forward at alarming speed.

Before the Drill Pokémon could react, the Primeape's fist was already buried in her stomach. The air cracked from the punch's speed; air and spittle ejecting from the Nidoqueen's mouth as the fist dug painfully past her heavy plates. Liz felt her feet leave the ground as the Primeape's momentum suddenly slammed into her, sending her flying through the air. Like a ragdoll, the Nidoqueen hurtled towards the corner of the room, slamming into a tree with such force that it topped over a second after she slumped bonelessly to the ground.

"Hmph," the Primeape grunted, flexing their mitt, not even bothering looking at Liz's downed form. "Weak." He glanced over to the shellshocked Marshtomp and Sandshrew. "'Guess you two are next."

A partially restrained whimper escaped the Marshtomp as he took an involuntary step back, his entire body trembling. Next to him, Dusty wasn't fairing much better. The normally stoic ground type was visibly shaking. The strength this Pokémon possessed…was league's above their own!

"Well?" the Primeape inquired, appearing bored. When neither Pokémon responded, he sighed angrily. "Fine. If you won't come here, then I'll come to you."

Both members of Team Dawn Breaker tensed as the fighting type took a threatening step forward. Both knew that running wouldn't do them any good, the Primeape proved himself to be incredibly fast. He would no doubt catch up to both of them with ease. They had no choice but to fight.

The Primeape paused; tilting his head as he saw that both Pokémon were preparing to fight back. He snored derisively. "Shouldn't even bother," he mumbled to himself. Drawing a fist back, he prepared to lunge forward and decimate the two brats before him and—

"Hey!"

The Primeape froze. Eyes wide, he turned to where the Nidoqueen had fallen and was shocked to see the poison-ground type was standing tall. The scale plating around where the Primeape had punched her was partially dented with several cracks stretching out from the center, but the Nidoqueen looked little worse for wear.

"Wha—" Liz smirked at the Primeape's befuddled expression.

"What? You didn't think a sissy punch like that would knock me out, did you?" she taunted. She proudly thumped her chest, the impact of her fist against her scales causing a resounding thump. "I'm made out of far tougher stuff than that!"

The Primeape stared at the Nidoqueen, still caught in shock. His shock, however, quickly bled into mounting anger. "Sissy punch?" There was poorly controlled anger to his voice; his entire body trembling with rage before he burst. "I'LL SHOW YOU A _SISSY_ PUNCH!"

A crimson aura encompassed the Primeape as he flexed his entire body. Before the trio's very eyes, the fighting type's muscles bulged and rippled, thickening to nearly twice the size as before. A shrill shriek tore its way out of the Primeape's throat.

"I AM ARES!" the Primeape roared; stomping his foot hard enough to crack the grass-covered ground. "REMEMBER IT, 'CAUSE IT'LL BE THE LAST NAME YOU HEAR!"

"Why don't you shut up and put your money where your mouth is!" Liz snapped back with a nearly feral grin.

The Primeape shrieked in response before throwing himself at the Nidoqueen, murder alight in his eyes.

-Resistance-

Elsewhere, Mystic's group was having an equally difficult time. Currently, the Meowstic was locked in battle with the enemy's Gothitelle. The two were looked in a stationary, yet intense battle. Psychic energy was flung violently across both sides; tearing up chunks of earth and trees for ammunition and leaving the area cracked and broken.

Mystic grit her teeth as she stumbled back under the force of the opposing Gothitelle's power. The Astral Body Pokémon was truly a skilled psychic. Ruthless in her technique yet composed in the heat of battle. She was truly someone that Mystic had to be wary about. Especially with her other teammates preoccupied.

Glancing behind her, Mystic grimaced at the sight of the small Snorunt cowering behind her. The ice type's eyes were tightly shut, her entire body curled into a tight ball as she shook violently. The small Pokémon had immediately been targeted by the Gothitelle when they had first entered the clearing, forcing Mystic to have to protect her. Unfortunately, the little Pokémon appeared to have been petrified by fear as she had yet to move, leaving Mystic stuck in her current situation. What's more, the Gothitelle wasn't the only enemy.

Barely holding back an ugly sneer, she glanced at the Chesnaught that was tearing through her team. The massive Pokémon had appeared almost as soon as they entered the room, surprising them despite their girth, and delivered a harsh blow to Jasmine. The Liepard maintained consciousness, but she was hurting and the others…

Quill cried out as was sent tumbling backwards, his arms throbbing from the vicious blow he had just barely managed to block. Wincing with more than just physical pain coursing through him, Quill stared up at the massive figure. The Chesnaught towered over him, arm glowing with vibrant blue energy as he swung its arm at the smaller Pokémon. Quill barely managed to lunge out of the way, the Hammer Arm just managing to clip the Quilladin as he moved out of the way.

The ground caved in under the Chesnaught's attack. Earthen splintered erupted upwards, scattering in all directions; a plume of dust curling up from around the Chesnaught's arm. The grass-fighting type blinked at its arm which was now imbedded in the soft ground. With a grunt and minimal effort, it ripped its arm free and turned back towards Quill.

"Dammit, Crass! Snap out of it!" Quill shouted, desperately wanting his brother to hear him.

However, Quill's pleas fell upon deaf ears. Cress' eyes remained blank, his facial expression never changing as he lumbered towards Quill. Before the Chesnaught could attack, Jasmine leapt onto the larger Pokémon's back. A thin cloud of smoke enveloped the duo as the Liepard preceded to claw and bit at every available point on the Chesnaught's back; almost comical stars shooting out of the cloud as she did so.

Despite the super effectiveness of the attack, the Chesnaught just grunted. It twisted his body around violently, trying to dislodge the large feline on his back. Unable to keep her grip, Jasmine was forced to jump off of the Chesnaught, wincing as she landed. The smoke cloud dissipated, revealing the blank, unchanging expression of the Chesnaught.

"Crass…" Quill muttered helplessly.

"Stop screwing around!" Jasmine hissed at the Quilladin. "You have to fight!"

"But…it's Crass!" Quill said. "I can't…not to him…"

"Useless!" Jasmine growled before turning back to face the Chesnaught. With a sharp howl, she released a large Dark Pulse at the slowly encroaching Pokémon. Unperturbed, the grass-fighting type simply raised an arm and blocked the attack. "How strong is this guy?!"

A cruel, condescending laugh filled the clearing. "Attacks like that will get you nowhere," the Gothitelle laughed. "You'll find my little guard is more than capable of shrugging off anything you can throw at him. In fact…"

The Gothitelle shrilling whistled, causing Crass to freeze. Turning away from Jasmine and Quill, he instead focused Mystic, who was still preoccupied with keeping the other psychic type at bay. The Spiny Armor then opened his mouth and unleashed a barrage of glowing seeds at the Meowstic.

"Mystic!" Jasmine shouted in warning, but it was too late.

The Meowstic turned just in time to be met with Crass' Seed Bomb attack. The Constraint Pokémon cried out in pain as the large seed exploded upon contact; the force of the various explosions throwing her across the room. Noelle, still rooted in her spot, too was caught up in the ensuing explosions. She cried out as she was flung into the wall of trees, slumping bonelessly next to Mystic's still form.

"Mystic! Noelle!" Quill shouted in concern for his teammates. He made to rush towards them, but was stopped by several small spikes rushed past his vision. They sunk into the ground just in front of him, leaving small almost unnoticeable points protruding past the grass. A virtual minefield of spikes now separated him from Mystic and Noelle.

"Lovely display," the Gothitelle cheered, sounding rather smug as she sauntered over to Crass. She caressed the Chesnaught's arm in a parody of a loving gesture. "You really make the perfect bodyguard."

Quill saw red. "Don't you touch him!" He made to rush the Gothitelle, but Jasmine grabbed his arm in her mouth.

"Don't act rashly," Jasmine chastised, her voice slightly muffled as she struggled to keep the Quilladin from running. "It's what she wants!"

"Oh, you have no idea what I want," the Gothitelle said slyly, now leaning heavily against Crass' side. "Though, currently, I supposed doing away with your group is ideal."

"Dammit!" Quill growled angrily, though he made no move to charge again. "Let go of my brother!"

"Oh, he's your brother!" the Gothitelle gasped in surprise. A sly grin found its way onto her face. "Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your brother is gone."

She turned to Crass, her grin becoming cruel. "Morpheus is quite thorough when it comes to making hit puppets. He enters their minds forcefully, tearing through any mental defenses they. It's quite a painful experience actually and it can last hours if they resist," the Gothitelle added, smirking when she saw Quill beginning to shake with rage. "Morpheus then taking them everything about them, their memories, experiences, personalities, everything that makes a Pokémon themselves and crushes it. He doesn't erase it, no, that'd be too easy. No, he instead pushes it to the furthest corner of their own mind, making room for Morpheus' will."

Quill was shaking violently. His teeth audibly grinding against one another as he struggled to maintain his composure.

"He doesn't have to do that, thought. It's actually much easier to control someone when everything about them is erased, but Morpheus doesn't do that. He likes allowing them a small sliver of consciousness so they can see everything," the Gothitelle continued, undaunted. "He enjoys knowing that they are fully aware of everything he makes them do. Everything he does to them, they're away of it all."

She patted the Chesnaught's arm and laughed. "I wonder how he feels…knowing that he's fighting his brother."

At that moment, Quill snapped.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Quill roared. He surged forward, tearing his arm from Jasmine's jaws.

"No! You fool!" Jasmine shouted, but Quill didn't care.

Nothing mattered to the Quilladin. His reason for entering Ashen Woods? Meaningless. His allies? Unimportant. All that mattered in that moment to Quills tearing the Gothitelle apart and Morpheus after.

 **Author's Note:**

I am so sorry it took me so long to update. Between everything that's been happening in my life, finishing up _Rise of the Dragon_ , and dealing with my own laziness and tendency to procrastinate, time just got away from me. Now, I won't promise that I'll start updating faster than before, even though I'm down to one story. I actually have been trying to write an actual novel that I hope to get published. It's been slow going since I haven't wanted to abandon my fics, but, now that I only have one, I'm hoping I can put more effort into that endeavor. Regardless, stay safe out there and thank you for your continued support.


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